


Patient

by matrixaffiliate



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Alternate Universe - Wedding Planner, F/M, Finding love later in life, Fluff, Reluctant Wedding Planner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-02-21 16:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18705640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matrixaffiliate/pseuds/matrixaffiliate
Summary: Ginny never wanted to end up a wedding coordinator, especially when at 35 she hasn't had her own wedding. But when she loses her big corporate event planning position, she's more or less forced into the job. It's not all bad though, Ginny gets to plan Victoire's wedding, and she's rather taken with the fiance's godfather. Muggle AU. Harry/Ginny fluff story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited for this story! I'm still in the middle of writing it, but don't worry - I never abandon a story. I'll try and get chapters done at least every other week. Enjoy!

Ginny slid her keys into her bag as she walked into work. She'd just pulled off her biggest event yet, a conference of 5000 people and she had coordinated it all: the expo-center, the hotels, the food, the speakers, the free stuff, all of it. And it had gone off without a hitch. She was looking forward to simply writing up her final review and then getting started on the next event, a much smaller in-house event for the company management.

"Ms. Weasley," a deadly sweet voice called out as she sat down at her desk. Ginny turned to find a squatted toad in a pink dress suit.

Dolores Umbridge stood directly to her left with what looked like excitement across her normally sour face. "I need a word, in my office."

She looked at Ginny expectantly as Ginny cautiously stood from her chair; then the toad turned on her heels and practically marched down the hall.

Ginny knew this couldn't be good, but she couldn't figure out what it could be about. The conference had gone off perfectly, she'd even come in exactly on budget - no small feat. It hit her when she walked into Dolores' office and saw the HR representative sitting at the desk.

"You're firing me?" Ginny could feel her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"Ginny, it's nice to see you," the HR rep that had hired her, Richard if she remembered correctly, stood and held out his hand. Ginny didn't take it, she just stood, rooted to carpet.

"You're firing me?" She turned to Dolores who smiled.

"Oh no, but we are dissolving the position of event coordinator. We'll be moving all of your responsibilities to each department's secretary." Dolores practically beamed as she settled in her seat, "Please, sit down."

Ginny wearily took the empty seat, "What about the corporate wide events?"

"The secretaries will work as a team and split the work," Richard chimed in.

Ginny almost laughed. That was ridiculous. You couldn't make these events happen without a main face, someone who all the vendors could come to and know they'd get a direct answer. Event planning wasn't committee material.

"And," Dolores pushed a small stack of papers across the desk to Ginny, "we'd like to offer you the opportunity to be the marketing department's new secretary."

Ginny glanced at the offer letter and this time she did laugh out loud. "That's a 30% pay cut."

"But it's continued employment," Richard added hastily.

Ginny took a deep breath and counted to ten, slowly, before speaking. "I'd like be considered a layoff and have my severance package instead."

The look in Dolores' eyes told Ginny she'd played right into their hand. Whatever. Fine. It didn't matter.

"Richard has that paperwork," Dolores turned to him. "After you sign it all he will escort you to your desk and then out of the building."

Ginny wasn't listening. She was focusing on not screaming. She wasn't going to give the pink toad the satisfaction. She was going to walk out of this damn building with her head held high.

The next ten minutes felt like an out of body experience. Ginny went through the paperwork, signed everything, collected her belongings, and nodded politely to Richard as she handed over her badge. She slid into her car, shut the door, took a deep breath, and then screamed at the top of her lungs.

They'd fired her!

After pulling off the kind of events she was for this stupid company they fired her!

Ginny had been mad before, but this was a whole new level of furious. She needed to get home. She needed to call Luna. And she needed to scream a bit more.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny sat on her sofa, still in her power suit, a carton of ice cream in her hand and Luna offering some comfort on the other side of the sofa.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny." Luna repeated for the millionth time.

"Thanks," Ginny sighed and took another bite of ice cream before grabbing her laptop off the table. "I guess I should go update my resume and start applying for a new position."

"Is event coordinator something most companies hire?" Luna asked as she moved closer to Ginny.

"Depends," Ginny shrugged. "If they're big enough and they do events outside the company then usually."

Luna looked worried as she took in that information, but Ginny tried not to notice. She was going to believe that there was a job out there right now just for her.

* * *

It turned out that she should have shared Luna's concern. Ginny had spent a full month applying and interviewing for corporate event coordinator positions to no avail.

"I don't know what to do," Ginny groaned as she sat across from her dad. He'd invited her out to lunch and she ignored how readily she'd agreed to a paid meal, along with the tinge of embarrassment she felt when he handed her two cooler bags full of food her mum had prepared.

"Maybe you need to broaden your search," her dad furrowed his brow. "Be willing to relocate or switch fields."

Ginny grimaced at the thought of switching fields. The only other thing that existed for event coordinators outside of corporate was wedding planning.

No, thank you.

Ginny didn't have anything against weddings, aside from the fact that they were ridiculous and overdone and overpriced and she couldn't put on the show that every bride was getting her happily ever after day in and day out. Nevermind that Ginny was convinced that she wasn't going to be getting a wedding of her own. As her mother so frequently put it, "you're nearly 36, don't you think it's time you settled down?" Which translated in Ginny's mind as "you're nearly past your prime, find someone before you expire." But Ginny had no prospects, and no real desire to play the dating game again. She'd played it all through her twenties, and she was tired of it. So Ginny had accepted that she was probably just going to be single and put a lot of effort into being a good aunt and daughter and friend and person.

"I know you don't like the idea of moving," Arthur patted her hand, "but sometimes we have to roll with the punches. Life has a way of leading us in the right direction if we're doing our best to be decent human beings."

The conversation moved on from there but Ginny couldn't keep from fretting. She was starting to dig into her savings. Her severance was one week of pay for every year she'd worked at the company. Her four years of working there gave her one month's pay and even with cutting back on her expenses, she knew that her savings wouldn't last forever.

Ginny walked to her car after bidding her dad goodbye and felt trapped in her situation. She was overqualified for any store attendant position and specialized enough that standard marketing positions preferred other applicants over her. She was running out of options almost as fast as she was running out of money. Ginny was pulled from her melancholy thoughts by her phone buzzing. It was an email from someone who found her on LinkedIn asking if she'd be willing to interview with Wedding Composition to be their newest wedding coordinator.

Ginny stared at the email. She really didn't want to do this, but she couldn't see an alternative. Her savings would run out, and that money had originally been for something entirely different than sustaining her through unemployment. She could always interview with them, take the job if offered, and then keep looking for something in corporate. It would at least pay the bills and make it so she wouldn't need to scrimp after every penny. She would simply jump ship the minute something in corporate came along. Weddings would be easy. No one ever had weddings that compared to the scale of some of the corporate events she pulled off. She would have plenty of time to interview elsewhere. The more she thought about it, the more Ginny thought it was a great idea.

Ginny selected the contact number on her phone and hit the dial option.

Emily McCarthy was exactly what Ginny pictured when she thought of a wedding coordinator. She was bubbly and excited and exuded an optimism that bordered on insanity. But she loved Ginny and was positive that Ginny would love wedding planning so much she'd give up on finding a corporate event coordinator position and stay on forever with her and the rest of the team.

The rest of the team included Josh and Lyndi, both had years of experience in wedding planning. They also were in love with their work and thought they were creating dreams. They echoed Emily's sentiments that Ginny would lose all desire to work anywhere else after she'd experienced wedding planning. But Ginny really didn't care, she just was happy to have a job again and a paycheck coming in.

"Congratulations!" Molly beamed at her daughter that Sunday. Bill had complained that the family hadn't gathered in a few months and Molly had risen to the occasion, inviting everyone home for a full family dinner. Ginny took note that Bill and his family had yet to show up.

"Thanks, Mum," Ginny smiled, "it's nice to have a job again."

"You found a position?" Hermione gave Ginny a hug and shifted baby Rose to one side.

"I found something to get me by for now," Ginny tickled Rose's tummy before sighing. "I'm the newest wedding coordinator for Wedding Composition."

Hermione's face scrunched in confusion. She knew how much Ginny looked down on wedding planning. But Ginny was saved from having to explain by Bill and his brood filing through the door along with a young man with turquoise blue hair.

"Way to show up, slacker."

"Be nice," Molly chided Ginny as she ushered everyone in.

"Excuse me, everyone," Bill raised his voice, "I'd like to introduce the man who wants to steal my daughter. Ted Lupin, meet the rest of your future family."

Ginny's mind quickly processed the words her brother spoke and looked down at her niece's hand. Sure enough, an engagement ring sparkled in the light. Then the room erupted with cheers and questions and a lot of tears on Molly's part.

Ginny knew her niece was old enough on paper to get married. She even knew Vic had been dating the same boy for the last three years. But Ginny couldn't wrap her brain around it. Little Vicky was getting married at just 18? It felt absurd.

But then, it felt nauseating, because her little niece would be married, and Ginny was not. Ginny thought she had come to terms with the idea that she probably wouldn't marry, but that was before the next generation started marrying. That was before 35 suddenly felt like 70. Ginny was about to excuse herself when her mother added to the anxiety.

"Oh this is perfect! Ginny just took a position as the newest wedding coordinator at Wedding Composition!" Molly turned to Ginny with an excitement in her eyes that Ginny was sure she'd only seen when weddings and babies were being discussed. "Ginny you have to plan Victoire and Ted's wedding! It would be perfect!"

Ginny forced the panic down and put on a smile, hoping it didn't look like a grimace. "I'd love to, you'll be my first clients!"

Bill put his arm around Ginny, "Great, let's talk budget before Vic gives you her wish list, and Ted can get you in touch with his godfather. He's offered to help pay for the photographer and the flowers and suits."

"Godfather?" Ginny repeated, surprised that it wasn't his parents offering to help pay.

Ted shrugged, "He's the only family I've got."

* * *

The next day was Ginny's official first day at work, but it really was just going to be a continuation of the previous evening. After laying out the budget with Bill she had spent the following three hours trying to go over wedding details with Vic. It was useless though because every female family member had to have her say about what would make the wedding perfect. Ginny had figured out pretty quick she wasn't going to get very far and just let everyone talk at Vic and Ted. This morning she was going to be able to actually begin planning things out with her niece and soon to be nephew, along with the godfather who was coming to give her his budget figures.

She sighed as she opened her calendar on her tablet, so much for being able to jump ship the minute she found another job. Now she was stuck coordinating weddings until Vic was married. The next ten months were going to be very long months. Oh well. She pulled out the white binder with gold lace applique printed on it and Vic and Ted's names printed on a sticker and placed on the binding. Emily had handed it to Ginny when she told Emily that her first client would be Vic. Emily had been ecstatic at the news and insisted that Ginny give Vic and Ted the family discount, something Bill was very happy about when Ginny called to tell him. Ginny flipped through the binder making sure she had filled in everything that she already knew the answers to. It wasn't too different from her corporate event planning. Instead of branding it was wedding colors. Instead of the presentation it was the wedding ceremony. But the venue was still there and the catering and the lodging. There was just the addition of things like wedding dress shopping, and suits, and bridesmaid dresses, and flower bouquets, and photographers that she hadn't done before.

"Aunt Ginny?"

Ginny looked up to find Vic and Ted standing at the entrance to her office.

"Thanks again for doing this, Ginny, Vic is so excited I think she's going to explode." Ted put a comfortable arm around Vic's waist and kissed her temple. Ginny smiled, Vic had found a good one.

"Come on in and have a seat," Ginny rose and gave Vic a hug. It still seemed surreal that little Vicky was old enough to be getting married. They were so young. Ginny was in her mid-thirties and she still felt clueless half the time. Yet here were these babies asking her to help them have the wedding of their dreams.

"I thought your godfather was going to be here," Ginny turned to Ted as they all sat down.

"He's on his way," Ted nodded, "he got a little hung up."

"No matter," Ginny waved it away. "Let's start with the important stuff, and contrary to what everyone at the Burrow told you, that is not the colors or the dress or any of that. I first need to know the number of people you're going to have at the wedding ceremony and the reception."

"Oh," Vic's cheeks blushed and she looked down at her hand intertwined with Ted's. "I hadn't thought about that part actually."

Ginny sighed. Obviously brides weren't nearly as organized as most of her previous managers.

"As practical as that is," a voice sounded from the door, "doesn't that take some of the fun out of the first meeting with your wedding coordinator?"

Ginny looked up at her door to see a very attractive man with dark hair that fell in every direction and green, green eyes behind a pair of dark framed glasses.

"Harry!" Ted jumped up and gave the man a hug.

"Sorry I'm late, Teddy," Harry shook his head as he pulled away.

"It's fine, really, we understand." Ted turned to Ginny, "Harry, this is Vic's aunt and our wedding coordinator, Ginny Weasley. Ginny, this is my godfather, Harry Potter."

"Pleasure," Harry shook her proffered hand, and Ginny had to pull every trick in the book to maintain her cool. Harry's eyes bore into her and his smile was captivating. But she didn't particularly like being called out on her growing pains when it came to transitioning from corporate events to weddings.

"We don't want to take up too much of your time, Mr. Potter, so let's go ahead and talk about what you would like to add to the couple's budget and then you can head back to work."

"Harry, please," he pulled a chair up next to Ted. "And I've taken the rest of the day off to help with this and everything else Teddy has planned today."

"Right," Ginny took a deep breath. She had dealt with Umbridge every day for four years, surely she could handle a sassy, good looking man with minimal issue.

Harry gave her the number and as she wrote it down in the binder he cleared his throat.

"There's one thing though, I'm sure Teddy would have brought it up when you came to it, but we want to make it clear that there will be no alcohol at the reception."

Ginny looked up confused. "What?"

Harry looked at her intently. "There will be no alcohol served or available or smuggled in."

Ginny turned to look at the couple who nodded at her solemnly.

"Er, alright," she grabbed her red pen and made a note on the catering page. She wasn't sure what the aversion to alcohol was all about, but obviously the couple agreed which was all that mattered really. "Any other unusual requests?"

Harry flashed her a grin, "Not at the moment."

Ginny shook her head and tried to hide the smile that was pulling on her lips. This man was ridiculous.

With a little help from Harry and herself, they were able to nail down a good estimate for the number of people to be at the ceremony and the reception. Next Ginny brought up the venue and she watched as Vic heaved a sigh. Ginny felt bad, really she did, but this was the right way to plan out an event. They'd get to colors and dresses and cakes when the big priced items were taken care of and they knew how much money was left after that.

"You know," Harry stretched, "I could really do with a tea or something. How about we move this little meeting to the cafe down the street?"

"We have a little reception room down the hall that has a kitchenette with tea and water and sodas." Ginny shook her head. Emily had told her to use the formal reception room for Vic, but Ginny found the room to be over the top. She had decided her office was a much more practical place to meet with her clients.

"Lead on, Ms. Weasley," Harry stood and gestured out the door.

Ginny grabbed her tablet and the binder and her pens and everything else she thought she'd need before leading her little group into the formal reception room.

The room had cream colored couches and chairs with antique white coffee and side tables. The counter for the kitchenette was white marble and the faucet and handles for the cabinets were gold colored and polished to shine. The walls had large blown up images of smiling brides in beautiful wedding dresses surrounded by flowers and delicate decor. Ginny felt like it was trying to hard. But as she led the little group into the room, she heard Vic gasp and turned to see her niece gripping Ted's arm with the biggest smile she'd seen on her face since the big family dinner the night before.

"This is beautiful!"

Ginny stared at Vic. Apparently being a French woman's daughter gave you a severe romantic streak? She turned when she heard water running as Harry filled the electric kettle. He winked at her before he began rummaging through the cabinets looking for tea. Then he opened the mini-fridge and scowled before shaking his head. He reached in and pulled out a Diet Coke.

"Here Teddy," he handed it over to Ted who grinned and thanked him.

Ginny joined Harry in rummaging through the cabinets for cups and tea and biscuits. As the kettle clicked, Harry leaned closer to her to whisper.

"I'm not about to tell you how to do your job, but your poor niece is looking like you just took her childhood dream and made it a conference room training. So maybe let her have some of the fairytale back." He poured the cream into Vic's tea before turning to carry it to her.

Ginny stared at the space he'd just vacated. Who the hell did this guy think he was? She turned her head to glare at him, but she caught a glimpse of Vic and paused. Vic was smiling like the whole world was right. She looked excited and like she couldn't wait for the day she'd become Mrs. Edward Lupin. Ginny sighed. She absolutely hated being wrong. But she loved Vic. Vic was the little girl who made her an aunt. Vic was the little girl that she took to parks and played tea party with. She was who Vic stayed with when Fleur went into labor with Dominique. Vic was something special and Ginny grudgingly admitted that Harry was right, she deserved the fairytale.

"Now then," Ginny sat down across from Victoire, "why don't you tell me what you want your wedding to look like?"

Vic's eyes lit up like Ginny had just offered her chocolate cake. She proceeded into a monologue of everything she'd dreamed her wedding would be. She wanted the main color to be the same color turquoise as Ted's hair, accented with silver and white and black. She wanted it to be elegant. She wanted a roses and orchids. She wanted a proper tea instead of a cocktail hour while photographs of the family were being taken after the ceremony. She went on about her dress and the bridesmaids dresses and the way she wanted the venue decorated, how the cake would look, what food they'd have, the music that would play.

And as Vic shared her dreams for her wedding, Ginny just sat and listened. She remembered being young and in love. She remembered what she'd imagined a wedding for herself would have been like. She remembered it had never included the logistics. And finally it hit her. A wedding coordinator existed to keep the magic of the wedding alive, while making sure the logistics went smoothly. An event coordinator had to prove that they had the logistics under control, keep them out in front for their manager to see it was going exactly how they expected it would and was within budget. Ginny realized she'd been trying to be an event coordinator with Vic's wedding, and she'd been killing the magic.

Ginny glanced at Harry as Vic continued, and found him watching her intently. He nodded once when she caught his eye, and Ginny felt like he could see right through her. She didn't particularly care for that feeling, but she pushed it away and turned back to Vic as the girl seemed to be winding down on her monologue.

"What do you think?" Vic looked at Ginny with hopeful eyes as she nervously pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

Ginny moved quickly to wrap her niece in her arms. "It sounds perfect, Vicky."

They spent the next half hour filling in exactly what the first page of the binder Emily gave Ginny said to decide: date, colors, aesthetic, theme if any, flowers, ceremony desires, location desires, and number of guests. The bottom of that page had a space for the next appointment to be filled in. Ginny stared at it a moment before deciding to trust it. She set up their next meeting and walked the trio back to the front of the little shop.

"Thank you, Aunt Ginny!" Vic hugged her tight. "I'm so excited!"

Ginny held this precious girl in her arms for a long moment and smiled at Ted and Harry. "I'm going to make sure this is as perfect as I can make it for you, Vic."

Harry winked at her as he pulled the engaged couple out the door. "We'll see you at the next meeting."

It wasn't until she stepped back into her office that Ginny realized what he'd said. Did Harry really think it necessary to come to every meeting? There must have been a miscommunication somewhere along the line because for the most part she would only need Vic and Ted. Wedding dress shopping would of course include more people, as would the selection of suits, but that was it. It wasn't worth fretting over though, because Ginny had a lot of research to do. Vic wanted her dream wedding, and Ginny was going to make sure that all the money Bill and Harry were putting towards it would stretch as far as she could make it.

She was deep in her figuring of numbers to determine how much the kind of dress Vic wanted would cost in comparison to venues and flowers and cake and catering when Emily knocked on her door.

"Wow," Emily looked at the spreadsheets across Ginny's monitors and the number of browser tabs open both on her computer and the one she could see on the tablet. Ginny's notebook was open as well, notes scribbled across both pages. "I knew you were good, but this is incredibly thorough, Ginny."

Ginny smiled, "She is my niece after all."

Emily slid into a chair on the other side of Ginny's desk. "What exactly are you doing?"

"I'm making sure she can have everything she wants," Ginny pasted another link into her spreadsheet and entered in another price point, watching the figures update.

"We have the vendors that we normally work with," Emily reminded her.

"Of course," Ginny nodded, "and I have all of their information in my spreadsheets as well, but I want to make sure that her budget stretches as far as I can make it. My brother and her fiance's godfather are both putting money in but it's still a limited budget."

"His parents aren't contributing?" Emily asked with a furrowed brow.

"He told me his godfather was the only family he had."

Emily's eyes immediately filled with tears. "Well thank goodness that he has someone!"

Ginny smiled. Harry Potter was a sassy and pretentious someone, but yes, he was someone.

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I have another couple that I'll be assigning to you. I've scheduled their first meeting to be a week from today. We like to do those introductory meetings on Mondays here whenever possible." Emily handed her another binder, just like the one she had for Vic and Ted. This time, however, Emily had filled in the names and phone numbers.

"Do they have a budget?" Ginny asked, noticing that space was left blank.

Emily chuckled. "Kathleen Hawthorne's father is quite wealthy. He's planning on simply selling off a property to pay for his daughter's wedding."

Ginny's mouth dropped. "You're giving me a rich client?"

"Of course, you're my most thorough coordinator and I actually think that is going to make Mr. Hawthorne much more likely to broadcast around to his friends that Wedding Composition is the best place for even the aristocracy to bring their daughters."

"That's a pretty tall order," Ginny smiled, "but I'll do my best."

"I know you will. Let me know if you need anything." Emily stood up to leave before turning. "Oh, how did your niece like the reception room?"

Ginny smiled, "It took her breath away."

"That's the goal," she chuckled, "before you leave today, remember to restock what you used. I noticed you already put the cups and saucers in the dishwasher, thank you for that."

Ginny nodded as Emily walked out to prepare for her next meeting.

Ginny spent the entire day doing research for Vic's wedding, determined to find the best prices on everything. It felt good to be working and it felt good to be doing the part of her job she liked best. Sorting through all her vendor options, pitting their best prices against each other and sweet talking her way into deals. She loved seeing an event go off perfectly, but she lived for putting it all together so that she could be confident that nothing could go so wrong at the event that it couldn't be saved.

Before heading home for the day, Ginny pulled a Diet Coke from the stock room and walked it into the reception room. She slid it into the fridge but stopped a moment when she saw what was sitting next to the assortment of sodas. Bottles of champagne sat ready to open and serve to the clients. She'd need to remember that for when Kathleen Hawthorne and Travis Schultz came in next week. That would probably be exactly what big money like that would want. Ginny put a note in her phone to pick up some fruit and scones on her way in that day as well.

But before she could meet her expensive taste clients, she had to find Vic a venue to get married in.

* * *

"I have five places to look at today, but if you don't feel like any of them are right we can look at a few more. These are just the ones I think you'll fall in love with." Ginny smiled at Vic who sat in the front seat of her car with her, nearly bouncing with excitement. Ted and Harry sat in the back. She'd have to remember to tell Harry that he didn't need to keep taking work off for this, she'd let Ted know if he needed to be there or not. Ginny glanced back in the rearview mirror and accidentally caught Harry's eye. He winked at her before looking back out his window.

Ginny tried to ignore the way the blood rushed to her ears.

Thankfully she was pulling up to the first reception hall.

The place was very modern. Clean lines everywhere and gold and silver finishes. The floors were polished black granite and every table had a white marble top. Ginny heard Vic's breath catch as they walked in and she grinned. But as they went through the tour, Ginny could see that while this had the elegance Vic had wanted, it was a bit too much for her.

"We have the exact date of your wedding open as well," the host spoke to Vic as she continued to tell her how they could make this facility into her dream.

"Vic," Ginny stepped between the host and her niece, "remember I have four other facilities for you to look at. You don't have to pick right now."

Vic smiled in relief, "Let's go look at the other places, I want to know what all my options are." The poor girl grabbed Teddy's hand and practically bolted for the door. Ginny chuckled before thanking the host and arranging to bring her next clients through as well. This hall looked like the kind of thing they might just eat up.

"Remember, Vic," Ginny said as she drove the to the next hall, "you aren't required to give them an answer at all. I can call them and get everything set up after you're back at home. We'll have meetings to make sure it's exactly what you want, so don't let them pressure you into making decisions before you're ready."

"It's your day," Harry added, "and we're all just here to make sure you love it."

Ginny looked at Harry in her rearview mirror and he winked at her again. Ginny immediately looked back at the road. Why did this man have to be so, so, so, whatever, it didn't matter. She'd let him know he didn't need to be around for these things and then she wouldn't see him again aside from suits and the wedding day.

Vic went through the next two venues with a bit more confidence, but the fourth venue had her staring out the window while everyone else filed out of the car.

"It looks even better out of the car, love." Ted opened her door and offered his hand. Vic took it and slowly stepped out.

"Oh my," she breathed.

The venue was an old converted manor house that had a very French chateaux feel. The gardens were the definition of a fairytale, even with it being late August. Roses, lilies, and freesias of every color were slowly fading but covered the beds around the house with sweet peas intermixed throughout. Greenery and trees brought an elegant balance to the whimsical colors. The entire picture was everything that Vic had described and Ginny had been the beyond excited to show it to her.

"Wait till you see inside," Ginny beckoned Vic forward.

Ted gave her a gentle tug and Vic walked slowly, looking for all the world like she'd just walked through the gateway into Narnia.

Sara, the owner of the manor house turned chateaux reception hall, met them at the door. She showed them around the hall then the gardens. Sara painted the picture of a garden ceremony as the sun began to set. She showed where the tea would be held in the smaller hall on one end of the home, and how the reception could be either out in the gardens or in the larger hall off the main entrance. Sara even knew where the perfect place to take photographs would be and offered to speak with the photographer before the wedding so Vic would have the perfect pictures of her amazing day.

Ginny let a smug smile touch her lips as she watched her niece. This was the place, and Sara had just sealed the deal by inviting Vic and Ted to take some time to walk around and picture it for themselves.

"Why did you save this one for last?"

Ginny jumped as she realized that Harry had snuck up next to her.

"It isn't last," Ginny chuckled, "there's still one more. We hit them in the order of closest to the office first."

"But you knew she'd pick this one," Harry stepped closer to her and Ginny felt her heart rate increase.

"I suspected she would, but I didn't know."

Harry gave a quiet laugh that was more of a rumble in his chest and that did things to Ginny that she hadn't experienced in ages. "What did you do before becoming a wedding coordinator?"

"How do you know I haven't always been a wedding coordinator?" Ginny was suddenly weary of where he was pulling that kind of personal information on her.

Harry stared at her a moment before gesturing to the engaged couple walking the gardens hand in hand. "I'm Teddy's godfather, amazingly enough, and I do tend to talk to him. Vic talks a lot about you too when she's at ours."

Ginny felt her neck grow hot and a tinge of embarrassment gripped her stomach. She kept forgetting that Harry was the equivalent of Bill. He certainly didn't look much older than her, but some people just aged well, and Harry was probably one of them. Ted was a year older than Vic, and so Ginny assumed that Harry must be closer to Bill's age.

"I suppose that puts us on uneven footing. I know nothing about you, and you already know that this is the first time I've coordinated a wedding."

Harry took another step closer to her, leaving a breath's distance between them. "I'd be happy to put us on even footing, if that would put you at ease."

Ginny felt her breath stop. Was he…flirting with her?

It'd been so long since she'd put herself out there that she wasn't even sure how to respond as Harry stared down at her with those green eyes and messy hair that her fingers itched to touch.

"Aunt Ginny," Vic apparently decided Ginny didn't need to respond, and for the briefest moment, Ginny wished her niece would go snog her fiance for the next two or three hours and leave her be.

"Aunt Ginny, this is it!" Vic exclaimed. "This is exactly what I want! I love it, and so does Ted! Can we get it reserved right now?"

Ginny gave herself a mental shake and smiled at Vic, "Absolutely! Let's go get Sara and we'll get everything reserved and set for your big day."

She led them back into the manor house and tried to shake the feeling that Harry was watching her. Instead she discreetly texted Luna and asked if she could stop by after work. She really needed someone to put her head back on straight.

* * *

Luna, thankfully, was free and Ginny dropped her crew off at the office where they'd all met up before grabbing takeaway and heading to her best friend.

"I brought your favorite," Ginny handed the bags over to Luna when she opened her door.

Luna chuckled as she ushered Ginny in, "So what's the emergency?"

Ginny threw herself onto Luna's sofa and sighed, "How did you know Rolf was interested in you before you started dating?"

Luna started unloading the food, "He told me he wanted to date me."

Ginny sighed, why couldn't everyone be just a bit eccentric like Luna and Rolf? They were relationship goals. So straightforward and to the point with each other, and even with Rolf and Luna going separate expeditions all the time they were probably the tightest couple Ginny had ever laid eyes on.

"Who are you hoping is interested?"

Ginny shook her head, "I don't know if I even want him to be interested. I haven't dated since Dean and that was nearly five years ago. I'm just…confused?"

"Confused," Luna echoed her.

"I guess," Ginny took a bite of food to buy her some time to think.

"He isn't a groom, is he?"

Ginny stared at her friend, almost sure she was taking the Mickey.

"He's Ted's godfather."

Luna smiled and Ginny was sure now that she was being teased. Luna loved to tease in her own quiet way, especially if it meant she could tease Ginny. They'd been friends for nearly there decades and the friendly teasing seemed to pull the rug out from Ginny's anxiety.

"I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?"

"Only mildly," Luna assured her with a quiet laugh. Ginny couldn't help but join in on the laughter, and pretty soon the two friends were in a right fit of giggles on the sofa. It took several minutes before either was able to gain control of themselves.

"Now then," Luna chuckled as she took hold of her water glass, "why don't you fill me in on what's going on like a sane person."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at Luna. "I told you about Ted's godfather, Harry, remember? Well he showed up to the venue tours today and he offered to tell me as much about himself as Vic and Ted had told him about me."

Luna wriggled her eyebrows, "Oooh that sounds so romantic."

"Luna, please," Ginny groaned, "I'm trying to figure out what to do!"

"Let the man," Luna shrugged, "you could do with a night out."

"He didn't ask me out for a pint," Ginny huffed. "I don't know what he was implying."

"Stop being thirteen," Luna stood and started clearing her food. "If you're interested in the man then let him know. If you're not then be professional and don't pursue him."

"That's the problem, I don't know if I'm interested," Ginny joined her in clearing their takeaway.

"I can't help you there," Luna put a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder, "you're going to need to figure that out for yourself."

"And that's the hard part," Ginny sighed.

Ginny didn't know what she wanted. She was happy with her life, wasn't she? She was comfortable being single, at least she thought so. Things didn't end well with Dean and Ginny had decided she was done playing the field. She didn't want to try and convince some guy she was worth the time of day. But what did she want? Did she really want to keep coming home to an empty flat? Did she really want to spend the rest of her life single? Or did she really just want to avoid getting burned again?

When Ginny fell into bed that night, she still didn't know.

* * *

After meeting with Kathleen and Travis that Monday, which seemed to go off without a hitch, Ginny decided to see if Vic had time to look at the photographers portfolios with her. They would need to get engagement pictures done just as quickly as possible so they could decide on the invitations.

Vic responded to her text with a phone call.

"Hi Vicky."

"Hi Aunt Ginny, I got your text and I'm at Ted's. What do you think of coming over and after we pick a photographer you can stay for dinner?"

Ginny sighed, little Vicky was old enough to be the hostess now, when did that happen?

"That sounds lovely, thank you! Send me the address and I'll leave here in fifteen minutes."

Ginny had expected a flat. Ted was nineteen, only a year older than Vic, and she expected him to be living like a nineteen year old, in a flat, in a cheap part of town, with little food on hand. So when the GPS led Ginny out to the suburbs and a small home with a lovely little rod iron fence and a slightly overgrown front garden, Ginny immediately checked that the addresses were the same. Everything looked to be right, so with a bit of trepidation and a lot of confusion, Ginny approached the front door and rang the bell. Her heart almost stopped when the door opened.

Harry Potter stood looking at her with those stupid green eyes and a sassy grin on his face.

"Oh good, you found it," He stepped off to the side and motioned for Ginny to come in.

"Er, yes, the GPS led me straight to it." Ginny's brain was quickly catching up with what was happening. Ted obviously lived with his godfather. Ginny was going to be having dinner with Vic and Ted...and Harry.

She was pulled from her musings by a soft hand on the small of her back as Harry led her down the hall. The spot on her back where his hand was touching seemed to burn and Ginny tried not to let her labored breathing show. The home was well kept and the smells coming from the kitchen were amazing. She was just about to ask Harry for clarification on what was going on when she heard her name.

"Aunt Ginny!" Vic jumped up from the sofa as Harry led them further into the house.

"You ready to pick out your photographer?" Ginny smiled as she wrapped Vic in a hug. Work, she needed to focus on the wedding and she would be fine. Ginny could have a professional work dinner with her clients. It would be fine.

"I'm so excited!" Vic pulled her down to the sofa.

Yes. Ginny was going to focus on work, and stop imagining that Harry was watching her, because he wasn't, she was sure he wasn't.

Ginny pulled her tablet out of her bag along with a couple printed portfolios from photographers that the shop kept on hand. "Ok, let's start with looking at the photos and then we can talk about which package would be right for you. No sense in paying to have a photographer all day if the wedding and reception will only be a few hours."

Vic picked up the first portfolio with excitement and put it across her lap and Ted's. "Wow, do you think I'll look like that?" Vic pointed to the first image of a bride surrounded by roses.

"You'll look more beautiful than every single picture here," Ted kissed her cheek and Ginny smiled as Vic's cheeks tinged pink.

"You are a flatterer, Edward."

"And you love it," Ted chuckled, "besides, I never say anything that isn't true."

Ginny remembered a time when she would have scoffed at that sort of exchange between her brothers and their wives. Even as recently as Luna and Rolf had Ginny rolled her eyes at what she considered sappy attempts to be romantic. But something about it being the next generation was different. It was heartwarming to see Vic growing up, to see her find someone who looked at her like she was his whole world, and Ginny couldn't bring herself to be cynical of any of it.

They sorted through photographers before deciding on the one that Vic liked best and had the best rate. Ginny excused herself to what Harry called his office in order to call and make the arrangements. She was just finishing up, consultation, engagement shoot, and wedding day booked and planned, when Harry stepped in the room.

"Just checking something," he smiled at her as he slid into his computer chair and began clicking around on his computer.

She should have left; she was already standing, she was finished with the call, she had no reason to still be in his office. But for some reason, Ginny pulled out her tablet out and looked with unseeing eyes at her calendar, alone in a room with Harry Potter.

"Were you able to get the dates for Vic and Teddy?" He slid up next to her and looked over her shoulder at the calendar.

"Yeah," Ginny bit her lip.

Harry was close, close like he had been when he offered to tell her as much about himself as he knew about her. She chanced to look up at him and found him smiling at her. Ginny felt like she needed to say something, she needed to break this spell he'd cast over her that had somehow rendered her trapped under his gaze. But she couldn't seem to gain control over her voice or manage to look away. His green eyes held hers and Ginny was rooted to the floor staring up at him with no idea of how to escape, and if she was honest, she didn't want to escape.

Suddenly, Ginny felt the nearly five years since she'd been this close to a man as keenly as she would have felt five years without ice cream. Had it really been almost five years since she'd kissed anyone? Had she really gone nearly sixty months since she'd been held? How had she managed these roughly seventeen hundred days without  _really_  touching another person? There was a part of Ginny's mind that reminded her that she was happy. She lived a fulfilling life and had wonderful friends and a loving family. But that part of her brain was being drowned out by the part of her that had sprung to life like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the part of her that wanted this, that wanted Harry.

"Do," Ginny whispered, "do you want to come to the consultation, with the photographer?"

Harry's grin tilted just a bit higher and he glanced down at the screen, "I think I can be there for it, probably smart too, since I'm paying the man and all."

Ginny felt the smile pulling on her lips and she gave into it. "Yeah, got to make sure this bloke isn't going to take your money and run."

Harry laughed and moved closer, placing his hand on the small of her back again, "As long as he isn't also running off with the wedding coordinator."

Ginny stopped breathing. She honest to goodness forgot how to make her lungs pull breath in and expel it out.

"Harry," Ted's voice sounded down the hall. "The stove timer is going off, which dish is it for?"

Ginny saw annoyance flash in Harry's eyes as his hand fell from her back. The lack of contact brought her breath back, but Ginny would have almost rather passed out from lack of oxygen than have him not touching her. Harry moved toward the door and Ginny watched him in slow motion as Luna's advice rang through her ears.

"Harry," she barely heard her own voice but Harry stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards her.

"The," she bit her lip and took a deep breath, "the wedding coordinator is more interested in the godfather than the photographer."

Harry's smile bloomed on his face like a morning flower, "That's very good news." He winked at her before disappearing down the hallway.

Ginny felt her breath leave with him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting early because I'm simply too excited to wait for tomorrow. ;)
> 
> Chapter 3 should be ready to post on June 1.

Harry Potter was certain he was going to blow this. He hadn't let himself think about dating over the years of raising Teddy. When the relationship he had when his life fell apart had failed miserably, he decided that relationships were a bad idea. He couldn't blame the poor girl for dumping him like hot coals, not many twenty-year-old women want to become an instant parent when their boyfriend has just lost everything and everyone. He didn't hold it against her. It was for the best, really. Harry was dedicated to his godson. He was all Teddy had, and Teddy was all he had, and Harry was at peace with that. At least he thought he had been until he laid eyes on Ginny.

Harry tried to focus on Ginny and not let his mind linger on those fateful months: the night he'd offered to look after baby Teddy because Tonks was starting to "lose herself" as his mum had said; the drunk driver that hit the taxi his parents, the Lupins, and his own godparents had been riding inside, killing everyone; days after burying his family, Ted Tonks' heart attack took him next; and then the cancer diagnosis that would ultimately take Andromeda from them a year later, leaving Harry as the sole guardian of Teddy Lupin at the ripe age of 20.

But Teddy was an adult now, an adult who was getting married. When had that happened? When did Teddy grow up? When did Teddy become old enough to have everything transferred into his name? Remus and Tonks and Ted and Andromeda hadn't had much to leave Teddy, but Harry had the past 17 years to make it grow, and Teddy had enough that if he and Vic were smart they'd be able to study whatever they wanted and pursue what they wanted and live comfortably. It was the least Harry could give him, since Harry fully blamed himself for the death of both their parents and his own godparents. If he hadn't offered to watch Teddy that night, they never would have gone out, and it would be Tonks and Remus getting ready to marry off their son.

Harry tried to shake his melancholy as he put the finishing touches on dinner. He smiled, remembering raising Teddy here. He would need to move everything out soon. It had been an easy decision, to sell his childhood home and Sirius and Marlene's home and move into the Lupin's home. He wanted Teddy to grow up in the house his parents had bought to raise him in, and it had always been Harry's intent to give the home back to Teddy when he was ready for it. Harry still hadn't found a new place, but he'd been a bit distracted lately what with Teddy getting married and his wedding coordinator suddenly becoming Harry's new favorite distraction.

Harry was no fool, he knew his presence at all these meetings was about five steps past superfluous, but it was the only way he could think of to get to see the woman. He'd never seen such a woman. Sure he had met Bill and Fleur and Vic's sister and brother. He understood there were something like two dozen Weasleys, but he hadn't been prepared to lay eyes on Ginny, or for what that one moment would do to him. He was completely enraptured with her. She captivated his thoughts and awoke feelings in him that he had long ago decided were best buried. But now, well Teddy was living his life, he was getting married, and thinking about Ginny helped Harry to push away the feelings that he was very quickly going to become obsolete.

Especially when she made comments like he was more in her focus than the hypothetical photographer was.

But as Harry called everyone to the table, he couldn't help but worry he would ruin his chance. He had turned down every romantic advance that had come his way since he was 20 and now he was fast approaching 37 years old. Those seventeen years made him feel like he was seventeen when it came to trying to be around Ginny. He mostly just watched her. Watched how she would pull her bottom lip between her teeth. Watched the way her hair would fall in her face. Watched the way she would slump in her chair when she thought no one was watching, and he'd fight the urge to wrap her in his arms. He watched because he wasn't sure how to make this more than just watching.

Vic had told him a lot about Ginny, and he didn't think Vic or Teddy suspected Harry's growing interest in her since he had deliberately referred to Ginny as "the wedding coordinator" for the first few weeks. That had only served as a way to get Vic talking about her more. The sweet girl seemed to think the more he knew about Ginny the less likely he would be to forget her name. Harry was happy to play along. He wanted to know as much as he could about this red-headed beauty.

Dinner conversation revolved around the wedding, and Harry didn't mind. Talking about the wedding was a safe topic, and he didn't have to try and keep his foot out of his mouth. But then Ginny started to seep out of the wedding coordinator position and into the role of Vic's aunt and the topics switched rather quickly.

"Have you two found a place?" Ginny asked Vic.

"You're in it," Vic laughed as she gestured around the dining room.

Ginny furrowed her brow and looked at Harry who nodded.

"It's Teddy's house."

Teddy rolled his eyes, "This was my parents home. Harry kept it and sold his parents' home and godparents' home and made sure I'd get to hold onto it. We transferred the deed to my name the same day we met with you at your office for our first meeting."

"So, are you moving out?" Ginny turned back to him and Harry felt his heart rate increase.

"Yes, just need to find a place, but I'll be out before the wedding."

"You really don't have to, Harry." Vic looked at him like he was more than just Teddy's godfather. She looked at him like she should be looking at Remus, and Harry's heart twisted in his chest. "We'd love to have you stay."

Harry smiled at her but shook his head. "It's always been the plan to turn the house over to Teddy when he was ready for it, and that includes me getting a new place. But don't worry, I'll be around."

"Just call ahead, yeah?" Teddy winked at him and Harry laughed. There was so much of himself in Teddy, and so much of what he had been like just before their world fell apart.

After helping put dinner away, Ginny began collecting her things and Harry fought the urge to try and get her to stay. The last thing he wanted to do was push her away by moving too quickly. He settled on helping her to her car.

"Thanks for dinner," she grinned up at him and Harry couldn't stop the returning smile that grew on his face.

"It was my pleasure, thank you for the company."

Harry glanced at the house to make sure Teddy and Vic were otherwise occupied before stepping closer to Ginny.

"I was wondering if I could invite you to that café down the road from your office for lunch tomorrow?" He kept his voice low and wondered if how stiff Ginny had become was some sort of warning sign that he'd overstepped and was about to find out how his dad felt the day his mother, being fifteen at the time, had claimed she'd rather date a giant squid than James Potter. But that had turned out alright in the end, so maybe this would too?

Ginny's face, however, lit up like the lights they put out at Christmas time. "Would Friday work? I'm booked through till Friday with vendors "

"Sounds amazing," Harry grinned.

"Here," Ginny rummaged through her bag and pulled out a business card and a pen before writing on it, "this is my personal number."

Harry took the card out of her outstretched hand worried that it would disintegrate at his touch. Miraculously it didn't and Harry wondered if he should pull out his phone right there and call her, before realizing that his phone was still up in the house. He stared at her card feeling a bit lame before slipping it into his back pocket.

"I, er, I left my phone in the house, but I'll text you once I'm back inside."

"Good," Ginny smiled at him and Harry wondered what it would take to get her to smile at him like that all the time. "I guess, I guess that I'll see you Friday?"

Harry nodded, "Drive safe, yeah?"

Ginny chuckled and opened her car door. "Will do, now go make sure that godson of yours is treating my niece right."

Harry chuckled and shook his head as he watched Ginny drive to the corner and turn out of site.

"Everything alright?" Teddy asked as Harry came in and made a b-line for his phone.

"Hmm," Harry nodded, too preoccupied with sending Ginny a text message to realize that his godson was closing in on him.

"Is that Ginny's personal number?" Teddy pulled the business card out of Harry's hand.

Harry swallowed the rage that first hit him and took a deep breath. "Yes, Edward, it is, now hand it back."

Teddy did as told, but he smirked at Harry, "So you aren't an alien after all."

"An alien?"

"Come on, Harry, you have never shown any interest in anyone."

Harry shook his head, he wasn't ready for this conversation. "I think I'll go get the dishes done."

"Vic and I finished everything in the time it took for you to say goodbye to Ginny." Teddy stood in front of him, blocking his path to the kitchen.

Harry pushed a hand into his hair. "Then I think I'll give the two of you some time without a guardian around."

Teddy grabbed his arm, "Can you please stop shutting me out?"

Harry looked at Teddy, seeing him eye to eye. When had he grown tall enough to look him in the eye? When had he grown old enough to see to the heart of things?

"Teddy…"

"You don't have to tell me about Ginny," Teddy added hastily, "and if you don't want me to mention anything to Vic, I won't, but just stop shutting me out anytime I bring up something you're uncomfortable with, please?"

Harry sighed, "Please don't mention it to Vic, I don't want to do anything to throw off Vic's confidence in Ginny as her wedding coordinator."

"Done," Teddy nodded, "and you'll stop shutting me out?"

"Right," Harry nodded.

Teddy hesitated before loosening his from on Harry's arm. "So, what was behind you being an alien the whole time I was a kid?"

"You have to understand," Harry sighed and sat down on the sofa, "when, when everything happened, and when your grandmother, Teddy I promised her…" Harry swallowed hard, it still hurt like yesterday. He still felt this pain as keenly now as he did seventeen years earlier. "Teddy when your grandmother realized she was losing the battle, she made me promise that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, that I'd raise you like my own, that I would make sure you had everything you needed. Teddy I couldn't let her down. I owe you that and so much more. I," Harry pushed a hand into his hair, "I was never going to let anything happen to you or let anyone hurt you. It was easier to make sure that didn't happen if I never let anyone in to try and change things. If anything happened I wouldn't have been able to live with myself." Harry barely bit back the laugh at how he could barely live with himself as it was. "Do you understand? I couldn't let anyone in. I promised your grandmother I would put you first in everything. I had to make everything up to you - as much as I could."

"Harry," Teddy cut him off. "You aren't responsible for my parents dying, that fault lies with the drunk driver who hit the taxi."

Harry shook his head. One day he'd be brave enough to tell Teddy it was his fault. One day he'd be man enough to tell Teddy that it was his offering to look after him so their parents could go out for a night that put them out on that fateful night, but Harry wasn't sure when that would be. It would have to be when Harry was ready to be cut off, because he wouldn't blame Teddy if he told him to never contact him again.

Teddy put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "You have been the most amazing parent Harry, and I owe you everything, but you deserve to be happy too. If that's Ginny then I'm happy for you, and if it's someone else then I'll be happy then too. Just, just know that I want you to be happy."

Harry pulled Teddy into a hug. When did he grow up? When did he stop being the little baby that sat on his lap at so many funerals? When did he stop being the little boy that wanted to go to football games? When did the center of Harry's world grow up and move on from needing his godfather? That was the goal of parenting right? To make it so the child was ready to set out on their own? Harry felt he met that goal pretty well, so why did it feel like he was losing his right arm in this process?

"Thanks, Teddy," Harry managed to choke out. "All I want is for you to be happy too."

* * *

Harry wanted to text Ginny after she replied to his initial text giving her his number, he wanted to text her constantly, but he also didn't want to scare her off. So he settled for texting her Wednesday evening after he was pretty sure she'd be off work. That had resulted in a very late night. Talking to this woman was incredibly easy, especially over text. He felt bolder somehow. He didn't text her Thursday, but she didn't text him either. So he wasn't exactly sure where things stood when it came to lunch on Friday.

He arrived nearly 15 minutes early and got a quiet booth before texting Ginny to let her know where their table was. He was surprised to find her sliding into the booth just five minutes later.

"You're early," Harry grinned at her as she set her bag off to the side.

"So are you," Ginny laughed and Harry felt his heart take flight at the sound of it.

"Let's order, I want to capitalize on the time we have before a bride comes looking for you."

Ginny laughed, "What about you? What sort of work is likely to come hunt you down?"

Harry chuckled. "Probably someone on the dark web that I've blocked from getting at a client? My clients tend to not want to hear from me. It's usually bad news or expensive news."

"Wait," Ginny quirked her brow, "what exactly do you do?"

"I work cybersecurity. I help companies know where their weak points are and help them protect those weak points to keep people on the dark web from exploiting the company, or worse their clients"

"Okay then, so you're a genius," Ginny teased him with a bright smile. He could get used to seeing that smile.

Harry chuckled, "Not really, I needed something that would let me be home with Teddy, and this looked like it would be a good fit, so I made it work."

"How long has Ted been with you?" Ginny's eyes were softer somehow, and while Harry usually disliked these questions, he somehow trusted Ginny wasn't pitying him the way he felt everyone else was.

"Seventeen years."

"So, did you have to switch careers or were you still deciding what you wanted to do?"

Harry stopped. "What do you mean? I was twenty years old, of course, I was still figuring out what I wanted to do."

"You're thirty-seven?"

Harry wasn't sure why Ginny looked so surprised. He didn't look that old, did he? "I'll be thirty-seven in July."

"Oh," Ginny looked down at her menu.

"Is," Harry felt something akin to panic start to build in him, "is that a problem."

"No!" Ginny's voice was tight as she looked back up at him. "I just, I assumed you were older is all."

Harry was confused. Ginny was obviously uncomfortable based on how red her face was. She looked sort of cute that way. A bit more vulnerable than the cool confident vibe she exuded normally, and far less intimidating.

"Hey," he reached across and took her hand, pulling her eyes back up to his. "Is something wrong?"

Ginny smiled shyly and Harry thought she might just run away with his heart if she kept smiling at him like that.

"Everything is fine, I just, I thought you were a lot older than me, and you're only about a year older and I'm adjusting to the realization that you've been taking care of Teddy since you were twenty and I'm just trying to change everything around in my head."

Harry pushed a hand into his hair and hoped that she was still willing to give him a chance even though he wasn't a lot older than her. At the same time, he really didn't want to get into his past, at least not today. So he squeezed her hand and braced for her to pull away.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and if you feel like you need answers now, I'll do my best, but I'd really rather save this story for another day."

Something about what he said, or the way he said it, or his squeezing her hand seemed to shake Ginny and she smiled before nodding. "Let's just enjoy today."

And that's exactly what they did. It turned out that Ginny didn't have anything pressing for the rest of the day, and Harry decided that he didn't have anything that couldn't wait till tomorrow. They went for a walk after their nearly three-hour lunch, then they picked up their cars and Ginny offered to make Harry dinner at hers, which led to a stop at the market near her flat. He managed to avoid any awkwardness about alcohol by simply keeping them away from the wines and maintaining a steady stream of conversation. A part of Harry wondered if she remembered his very first request of her. He wasn't sure he was ready to hope for that yet though, let alone explain the chaos in his brain surrounding alcohol.

When Harry followed Ginny into her flat, he was surprised to see they'd spent nearly six hours together. Had it really been that long?

He stepped up next to Ginny at the counter as she unloaded the bags. "Put me to work m'lady."

"Here," she handed him a bag as she laughed, "slice up these vegetables."

Harry took to the work gladly, but he kept getting distracted by watching Ginny as she cooked. She was enchanting and he couldn't bring himself to focus on anything else for more than a few minutes before he would be pulled back to her face, the small smile on her lips, the curve of her neck, the way it led his eyes directly down to her chest.

Okay, seventeen years without any romantic interactions at all may have been a mistake.

Miraculously, Harry managed to get through making and eating dinner with his dignity still intact, but he was quickly losing his self-control. The woman must need a license to be this gorgeous because the level of distraction she caused could make a train to derail.

"Are you alright?" Ginny pulled him from his thoughts and he grinned sheepishly.

"Er, yeah, I was just thinking is all," Harry reached out and took her hand; how could he not? This woman awoke feelings in him that he thought had died. Thoughts of the future seemed less bleak when he included Ginny in those thoughts. She made everything better. And he couldn't ignore this primal desire to kiss the living daylights out of her.

"Heavy stuff?" Ginny turned her hand in his and interlaced their fingers.

It felt right, to hold her hand, but it left him wanting more. He wanted to slide his fingers across her waist. He wanted to trace her curves up to her neck and into her long red hair. He wanted to pull her against him and meld their bodies together into one. He wanted to taste her, her lips, her neck, every inch of her.

"Harry?" Ginny's voice pulled him back again and Harry cursed himself.

"Sorry, I'm, er, distracted." Harry took a deep breath, willing himself to gain  _some_  control.

Ginny's brow furrowed and Harry mentally kicked himself. She probably saw right through him.

"I'm sorry," Ginny gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I've kept you all day. I'm sure you have something to get to."

Harry stared at her. Was she trying to get him to leave? Or worse, did she think he wanted to leave? Harry wondered if he'd inadvertently sent some signal that he hadn't meant to, having not dated in seventeen years he'd logically be a little it of touch. Maybe he should go, just in case she was trying to get him to leave?

No, this was ridiculous. He refused to act like he was seventeen, regardless how long it had been since he'd been in the game.

"Ginny, I'm distracted by  _you_ ," Harry hated that his heart was beating a million miles an hour but he wasn't playing games, especially not with this woman. "I'm zoning out because my brain is acutely aware of how gorgeous you are and I apologize for being a prick while you're trying to hold a conversation. Give me a few more dates and I might be able to function around you like a normal human being."

Ginny's eyes went wide and just as quickly a smile found her face along with a bright red blush on her cheeks. She bit her lip and Harry wondered if she was trying to break him, it was working that was for sure.

"I, I would, I mean if you wanted to, I'm not opposed to the idea, er, you're, I mean we're…"

Harry wasn't an idiot; he stood from his chair and gave Ginny's hand a gentle tug to pull her up, her scattered words dying on her lips.

"I warn you," he stepped closer, "I haven't kissed anyone in seventeen years."

Ginny stared up at him and he thought he saw a fire in her eyes blazing back at him. "I haven't kissed anyone in nearly five years."

Harry brought his hand to her face, gently running his fingers down her cheek to her neck. Her eyes fluttered and Harry tentatively brought his other hand to her waist, pulling her closer. He was nervous, but his blood was on fire and he ignored his beating chest for the high of touching Ginny's skin.

"Harry," Ginny whispered as she pressed herself against him, "kiss me."

Harry allowed his lips to curve into a small smirk before leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. It was light, chaste even, but it awoke a dragon in Harry's chest and any thoughts of propriety disappeared in exchange for exploring Ginny's lips, mouth, tongue, neck, and letting his hands roam her body.

Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself flush with him as her fingers tangled in his hair. Harry thought he might explode as her fingers pulled his hair, reacting to each touch of his fingers, the swipe of his tongue, the graze of his teeth.

He was consumed.

Ginny replaced the blood in his veins. She shut his mind down to everything but her, the feel of her under his fingers, her kiss, her touch, the sound of her breath hitching when he kissed behind her ear, her moaning when he bit down on her neck. He wasn't even sure he was breathing anymore. How had he lived seventeen years without this, and where had Ginny been that whole time? Whatever those answers were, he was quickly realizing that he didn't want to experience life without Ginny.

So he pulled away.

"Gin," he rested his forehead against hers, panting from the adrenaline she'd pumped into him.

Ginny smiled up at him, a smile that looked thoroughly spellbound.

"I, I don't want to screw this up."

Her brow creased just slightly and Harry pressed forward. "I know this could have everything to do with me not having had any romantic entanglements since I started taking care of Teddy full time, but I don't really care. I'm not looking for a one night stand and especially not with you."

He let the statement hang in the air like the blade of a guillotine, waiting to see if Ginny would cut the rope.

"Harry," she sighed his name but the smile stayed on her lips, "I don't have a date for Vic's wedding, feel like hanging around long enough to come with me?"

Harry laughed and the booming of it startled even him, but he couldn't help it. The release that rolled through him was like an earthquake. He felt like he could breathe for the first time since he'd been left alone in this world with his godson. He felt like he could fly. Like a part of him had been chained for nearly two decades and it had finally been set free. And then Ginny was laughing too and the sound of it only spurred him on. They clung to each other, laughing and kissing and for the first time in ages, Harry could embrace his happiness without the weight of guilt that he had carried for so long. It was still there, he was sure of that, but with Gin's lips pressed against him, he couldn't feel it and the feeling was like drinking nectar with the gods. This was ecstasy and Harry never wanted to come down.

* * *

The next several weeks were heaven. As Autumn began to take hold and the leaves changed color, Harry felt himself changing too. He looked forward to waking up each day. He found himself optimistic about the future. He wasn't embarrassed when Gin told Vic about their relationship, rather he was quite proud of it. He was a great deal more willing to socialize as well, meeting Ginny's best friend and her partner had been something he looked forward to rather than agonizing about as he usually did when pushed into unfamiliar social settings. And more than anything else, Harry was happier than he'd ever been.

And how could he not be? He frequently brought lunch to Ginny's office and spent three or four evenings a week with her. Ginny loved texting him throughout the day as well, especially to tell him about her clients. Harry had dubbed one couple that was having a December wedding the "bother couple." Apparently, the bride kept choosing things that Ginny said were difficult to match together and Ginny was quite frustrated with how "hodgepodge" it was going to be. Harry took that to mean it would look more like a mishmashed party than a wedding, but he was sure Ginny would make it beautiful; she made everything more beautiful by just standing in the midst of it.

Yes, take the Mickey all you want, Harry was hopelessly gone for this woman. Which is probably why he hadn't yet gotten around to finding a place of his own. He knew he needed to, but having everyone gathered in the Lupin's home felt therapeutic. It was warm and inviting and there was so much laughter that Harry couldn't bring himself to break the magic. It felt like it did before everything fell apart - before they lost everyone.

"You should get a place with Aunt Ginny!" Vic exclaimed while she and Teddy helped him with the dishes.

Harry choked on air.

"It's not a bad idea, Harry." Teddy chuckled and patted him on the back.

"We've been seeing each other for a little more than three months," Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure either of us is ready for that."

"Really?" Teddy smirked, and Harry rolled his eyes. Why was there so much of his younger self in his godson? How many times had he looked up at Sirius or his dad or Remus with that exact same knowing smile?

"Be nice, Ted," Vic chuckled, "the poor man's been on his own for twenty years."

"Seventeen," Harry corrected as he handed her a pan to dry.

"That's my point," Teddy grinned. "He's got a lot of time to make up for."

"Teddy, I love you, but if you don't shut up I'm going to smack you upside the head with this spatula." Harry menacingly raised the soapy spatula and Teddy held up both hands in surrender as he laughed.

"Fine, fine, I'll lay off."

But the look in is eye told Harry that Teddy was just getting started.

The comments were sporadic and usually veiled within the topic of conversation, but Teddy began dropping hints around Ginny. He never said it outright, but he would make comments about how wonderfully domestic it was to have Ginny around at the house with them. How much happier Harry was now that she was there. If Harry hadn't known his godson's intentions he would have found the comments flattering. But Harry knew what Teddy was trying to do, and he hoped that Gin hadn't figured it out. He should have known better.

"So," Ginny curled up next to him on her sofa and he pulled her into him, "Ted seems to be invested in our relationship."

Harry chuckled nervously, "You could say that."

"It must have been hard," Ginny entwined her fingers with his, "growing up without his parents. You obviously did a great job though."

Harry sighed but didn't respond. He did his best, but he couldn't stop himself from wishing he'd never opened his stupid mouth that set the fateful ball in motion, the one that left them both orphans.

"Harry," Ginny turned to look at him, "that day, at the cafe, you told me that you'd tell me what happened."

Harry didn't meet her eyes, but he nodded.

"How did you end up with Ted?"

The question hung in the air like a suffocating gas. Harry had told her he'd tell her, but he reminded himself that he hadn't promised to tell her everything. No one knew everything except him. He hadn't even been able to tell Andromeda that it was his fault everyone went out that night. He sat with her as she died in a hospital bed, Teddy asleep on his lap, and he couldn't even bother to be honest with the woman. Harry didn't think he could be honest about this with Ginny either, and he hated himself for it.

"Harry?" Ginny put a small hand on his face and brought his eyes up to meet hers.

Harry saw nothing but love in her blazing brown eyes, and he knew couldn't risk losing it.

"I grew up with Teddy's parents. My parents and his parents and my godparents were all friends from A-Levels, well not his mum but she was amazing too." Harry swallowed down the threatening tears and forced himself to keep talking.

"Anyway, they all went out one night and I looked after Ted. They were taking a taxi home from their favorite pub, it was late and dark. The taxi driver didn't have a chance to swerve when the drunk driver swerved into their lane and hit them head-on going far to fast. Everyone died at the scene."

Ginny gasped and Harry looked away. If he kept looking at her he'd lose his tight grip on his emotions.

"Shortly after we... buried...everyone, Teddy's grandfather and the man he's named for suffered a heart attack and passed away. Then it was just Teddy's grandmother and I. Andromeda was his guardian and that seemed like the best plan, until," Harry pushed a hand into his hair, "she was diagnosed with cancer. She made me partial guardian then. But the cancer spread too fast. Nothing was helping, chemo, surgeries, it just couldn't keep it at bay. So she made me the sole guardian of Teddy, moved absolutely everything into my name, and passed soon after that. It's just been Ted and me since then."

Harry took a deep breath. It hurt. It hurt because he missed these people, gone for such a long time. It hurt because of everything Teddy missed out on not having his parents. It hurt because he didn't have anyone to turn to all those years as he tried to figure out how to be a single parent. It hurt because he hated how lonely it had been, and how guilty he felt for that emotion. But it hurt more because he hadn't told Gin everything, just like he hadn't told Andromeda, just like he had never told Teddy.

Ginny's arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him close to her. He held on to her, willing the tears to remain unshed, willing himself to bury it all again, to bury the guilt, to hide what an awful person he really was from everyone - including himself.

* * *

Harry and Teddy had spent a portion of Christmas Eve with Vic and her immediate family the year prior. This year, however, they'd been invited to have Christmas dinner with the entire Weasley clan. And Harry was rather surprised to find he was excited.

He and Teddy followed the directions Ginny had scrawled for them as it led them through the winding countryside. A small dusting of snow covered the fields and Harry felt like he was driving through a film montage.

"Nervous?" Teddy asked, pulling Harry from his thoughts.

"Actually, I'm excited," Harry grinned.

"You're mental," Teddy chuckled, "the first time a bloke meets his girl's family he's supposed to be nervous."

"You know, when I was younger, I was nervous." Harry shook his head, that felt like a lifetime ago. He supposed it was.

"But you've grown prideful in your old age?"

"I'm not old," Harry shot back, "but I think age does have something to do with it. Gin and I are at a point in our lives that it's less of a novelty that she's bringing someone home."

"Lucky you," Teddy drawled, "And here I was looking forward to seeing you squirm the same way I did."

Harry smirked, "Sorry to disappoint."

It wasn't much longer before they found themselves pulling up to the Burrow, and he was rather pleased that Ginny came out to greet them before they made it completely out of the car.

"You were watching for us?" He smirked as he pressed his lips to her hairline.

"I was doing dishes and the kitchen window faces the front drive." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"So you were doing dishes so that you could watch for my car."

Ginny smacked his chest and Harry laughed as he pulled her closer. Vic met them at the door and pulled Teddy away with her. Her smile lit up her face and there was just a bit of mischief in her eyes. She reminded Harry of Tonks so much sometimes it hurt. She wasn't that much younger than Tonks had been when...

Harry shook himself. Today was not a day to let these memories haunt him.

Besides, Ginny was introducing him to everyone.

Harry was quickly enveloped in a bone-crushing hug from Molly Weasley. He hadn't been expecting her to hug him, and it took a great deal of force to make sure he didn't begin crying there on the spot. Being hugged like his mother had hugged him, as Andromeda had hugged him when she came after the constable had showed up at his door, it brought back memories that he had tried to block himself off to. It made him feel twenty years old again. And it threatened to break him.

Thankfully she pulled away so he could shake Arthur's hand. That felt less like it would break him. Harry had a face for this, shaking hands with colleagues. He could feel the walls rebuilding themselves. His breathing came easier. With each handshake from each brother, Harry felt more in control, more like the man he'd made himself become, more like his version of normal.

He was sure he had a grip on himself after that. Making it through dinner being able to laugh and enjoy getting to know everyone. He had a lot in common with Ron and his wife Hermione. Fred and George were hilarious. And Harry rather enjoyed making sure Teddy was roasted as much as Vic was by her family.

As they sat around the Christmas tree with gifts being passed around, Harry couldn't help but let his mind wander to the last Christmas his family had been alive. Sirius and Marlene had hosted, which meant it was extravagant. Everything Sirius did was extravagant, including Marlene. Teddy hadn't taken his first steps yet. Remus and Tonks fussing over their little baby. Harry's own parents asking when they'd get to meet the new girlfriend. His dad helping him sort through his options for the next semester. His mum trying to speak quietly as she told Marlene how much she hoped Harry would settle down and give her grandbabies. Marlene shouting over at him to get a move on.

And while Harry had once thought that Christmas would be the last like it, he realized that this one wasn't too different. The people were different, the type of crazy was different, but the love that permeated the evening was the same. That realization broke the grip he had over his emotions and Harry quickly set his new hand knitted jumper aside to slip out to the front garden. He needed some air, and a moment to collect himself.

It felt so wrong, to be so lucky that he was allowed to even be in the same room as this family, let alone on Christmas Day. And they accepted him immediately, Molly going so far as to knit him a bloody jumper before she'd even met him. He didn't deserve their kindness, let alone their love, after he caused his own family to perish. Teddy deserved these people; he deserved a proper family that would love him the way he deserved to be loved. Harry didn't deserve that, he didn't deserve anything. He'd led his family to their death and then hadn't ever owned up to it, letting Teddy believe there was nothing that could have been done, letting Andromeda die without the truth, and keeping Ginny in the dark to the kind of person he really was.

Harry gripped the back of the small bench near the front door and took a shuddering breath as he tried to bury this all again. He had to bury it. He couldn't function with it out in front of him like a neon sign. He needed the distance from it.

Harry realized that the problem he was having with the panic from his guilt resurfacing so frequently as of late was directly correlated to Ginny's presence in his life. But he wasn't willing to give it up. He needed her there, he needed the happiness she brought into his life, even if it came with moments of weakness, moments where he felt he might collapse under the weight of his secret, his guilt.

"Harry?"

And there she was, making his heart both soar and shrink with the sound of his name on her lips. He turned to find the gorgeous woman in question, the woman who deserved so much more, so much better than him.

"You alright?" She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Harry nodded but chose to look up at the night sky rather than down at her face. The view above was marginal in comparison, but it didn't threaten to force him into a downward spiral of angry tears and self-loathing for lying to such a beautiful creature.

"They're a bit much sometimes," Ginny chuckled and Harry was grateful for her misjudgment on his desire to leave. It gave him an easy way to sidestep the real reason he'd stepped out.

"Your family is wonderful, Gin, this is just the first time Christmas has been more than just Teddy and I. It's bringing back a lot of memories." He wasn't lying, Harry reasoned, he just wasn't telling her everything.

"You can go home if you need to," Ginny rested her head on his chest, "I'll make sure Ted gets home to you."

Harry forced a smile and shook his head. "Let's go back in, I just needed a moment to remember the last time I had a family Christmas like this."

Ginny smiled back up at him and pulled him down for a kiss. "I'd like to think you'll have a few to come as well."

Harry let her words push down the guilt with the excitement they elicited. "I definitely hope you're right. I think I'd like my future Christmases to involve your family."

Ginny led him back to the living room where if anyone noticed he was gone they didn't say anything. Teddy gave him an encouraging smile, but let it be at that.

Harry managed to get his guilt locked back away and enjoy the rest of the evening, but as he drove home late into the night, Teddy asleep in the passenger seat, Harry knew it wouldn't stay locked up forever, not with its kryptonite in his life. Ginny Weasley was going to break him, and he couldn't bring himself to stop her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going hiking tomorrow so you get an early update! Hooray!
> 
> Next chapter goes up June 15th :)

After dating Harry Potter for five months, Ginny was able to see the difference between him being suave and him being nervous. At first, she had mistaken his nervousness as a sort of cool aloofness, but now she knew better, like right now.

"What has gotten into you?" Ginny tried not to chuckle as Harry slowly surveyed her bookshelf for the millionth time.

Harry's hands stuck in his pockets, probably to keep them out of his hair. Ginny found that she often needed to find things for her hands to do to keep them out of his hair.

"I was thinking, it'd be rather dull to look at places on my own."

Ginny forced her face to stay neutral as she watched him from her couch. "I suppose it could be."

Harry kept his face blank but his right hand slipped up into his hair, "But I thought if you came with me, it would be less tedious."

"I'm so glad that I'm an assuage to tedium," Ginny couldn't stop herself from cracking a smile. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm trying to ask you to look for a place with me without it sounding like I'm pushing our relationship too fast."

Ginny crossed the small space to Harry's side, gently pulling his hand from his hair. "I'd love to tag along while you look for a new home."

Relief washed over Harry's face and Ginny laughed.

"Thank you, I've been dreading this something awful."

"Really?" She laughed, "I thought you'd be excited to have your own space. The empty nester thing my dad likes to talk about."

Harry was quiet a beat too long as he looked off at the floor.

"Did I say something?" Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's middle, pulling him close to her as she looked up at him, trying to get him to make eye contact.

Harry avoided her eyes as he spoke, "It's, it's different for me than it is for your dad. I was never meant to be Teddy's parent, but I've thrown my life into being everything I could for him. Now that he doesn't need me, now that I've raised him as best I can, I don't know what's next. Of course, there's still work and whatnot but I don't know what to do with myself." He shook his head and ran his hand into his hair again. "I must sound pathetic."

Ginny's heart nearly broke for him.

"Oh, Harry," she squeezed her arms tightly around him. "Teddy will still need you, just in a different way now. And you absolutely are  _not_  pathetic, you're the adult picking up where his life was originally going after taking seventeen years off to raise and care for your godson."

Harry grimaced, "Can I not start right where I left off. I was right hopeless back then."

Ginny pretended to consider his comment and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Enough of you," he tickled her sides and Ginny shrieked as his fingers worked their way under her shirt.

"Stop!" She laughed, "I can't breathe!"

Harry's fingers slowed, but only slightly. "I'm sorry, I thought you were implying I was hopeless."

Ginny managed to catch her breath, but only just. Harry's eyes stared down at her with a gleam that felt intense in a way she hadn't seen before. It left her grasping at the memories of breathing.

"You're not hopeless," it came out in a whisper. She was pinned under his stare, immobile from his eyes more than his arms holding her in place.

One of his hands slid up her side and brushed against her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. When he spoke, all joking had gone out of his voice.

"I think I am, actually, but in a good way." A small upturn of his lip gave Ginny's heart an electric shock. "I'm hopeless for you Ginny."

It was a cheesy line, but just like that he pulled the little air she'd managed to breathe in right out of her lungs. It was alright though because Harry felt the need to follow up his declaration with a kiss, breathing air back into her.

If she thought his stare was intense, his kiss made it seem tame. His kiss was borderline desperate, as though he needed her air as much as she needed his. His left hand gripped her waist, holding her as close to him as possible, while his right hand cupped the back of her neck, controlling this kiss in every way, and Ginny surrendered. She responded with equal fervor. Her fingers found his hair of their own accord. Then one hand was couldn't resist the magnetism of his chest and slid down to run slowly over his shirt and then crawl back up under it.

Ginny needed him to know, to feel exactly how much she cared about him, how much she…

She didn't want to say it first, it was a thing she had. She never said it first in her past relationships. Some stupid book she read forever ago and couldn't even remember the name of made it out to be better to wait for the guy to say it, and two decades later she was still influenced by the stupid thing.

But tangled up with Harry at this moment, Ginny wanted to say it. She wanted to breathe it into his ear before pulling back to see it in his face and hear it fall from his lips. She wanted him to know that she had fallen in love with him, and she wanted to know he loved her too.

And somewhere in those thoughts, actions played out in reality and not in her head.

Harry stiffened and pulled back to look down at her. "Did, did you just say…?"

Ginny bit her lip and cursed her inability to control her tongue in the moment, well in the moments with Harry. There was no going back now though, she'd obviously said it out loud and he'd most certainly heard her. She might as well own it.

Ginny swallowed and nodded, "I love you."

Harry's smile rivaled the sun as it lit up his face. "Good, because I love you too."

If Ginny thought the kiss before had been desperate, she was quickly shown how much Harry Potter could outdo himself. Ginny's senses were overloaded. Harry's hands and lips were everywhere, his voice was oscillating between growls and quiet whispered 'I love you's that sent her heart rate skyrocketing. He spun her into the wall and pressed his body against hers, as though if he tried hard enough they'd become a part of each other, a part of the wall pressed against her back.

It was heaven, and Ginny never wanted to come down.

* * *

"You're picking me up right at noon, then?" Ginny looked down at her schedule while she listened to Harry's reply.

"A bit after, we'll meet the estate agent at her office and then she'll drive us to the three homes she could arrange today before dropping us back at her office." Even with the promise of Ginny helping him find a place it had still taken two months for Harry to get his act together and get an estate agent.

"Perfect, then I'll be able to spend the rest of the day convincing you to pick my favorite one."

"What if you don't like any of them?" Harry's laughter made Ginny's heart sing.

"Then this poor woman will have to drag us around again." Ginny grinned as she spoke into the phone, "Because I'm pretty taken with the idea of making you pick my favorite home in exchange for assuaging the tedium of house hunting."

Harry laughed again. "I love you."

Ginny tried to keep her swooning to a minimum. Two months into saying it and she still felt her stomach dance every time Harry uttered the words.

"I love you too," Ginny sighed, "but you have a meeting in five minutes so I should let you go."

Harry chuckled, "How do you have my schedule memorized? If I don't have alarms going off on my phone I forget everything."

"You forget that my job is just an over glorified calendar keeper," She was joking, but Ginny couldn't help but smile as she looked around her office. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"I love you," Harry's voice was warm and Ginny wished she was sitting on his desk instead of in her office.

"I love you too, now get to work."

They disconnected and Ginny sighed happily as she took in her office. It felt like she'd been in it for years and not barely eight months. And as much as she hated admitting it, she was starting to like wedding coordinating. She was realizing how much she hadn't understood about the position before taking it on. She didn't need to pretend that every couple was going to live a fairy tale, she just needed to remember that they were happy now and that was what really mattered. Ginny especially liked that no bride was a client for longer than 12-18 months. She'd never have to deal with a Umbridge-like-nightmare for years on end again. It was true, she had told Emily that she was going to bail the moment Vic's wedding was done and she had another position, but Ginny was finding that the desire to find that new position was fading fast.

She'd never admit it out loud, but Ginny loved being a wedding coordinator, and admitting it to herself left a smile on her face all the way through to Harry picking her up just after noon.

"I missed you," Harry pulled her into him and kissed her.

"You saw me yesterday."

"We've already established that I'm hopeless for you," Harry pressed kisses along her jaw up to her ear.

"And we've also established we have an appointment to keep," Ginny chuckled but her body still melted against his.

Harry groaned but pulled back to open the car door for her, "Yes, dear."

Ginny looked up into his face, "I think I sense the tiniest bit of sarcasm in your tone, sir."

Harry grinned, "You really don't need to call me 'sir,' Gin."

Ginny laughed and shook her head as she climbed into the car. "You're absolutely ridiculous, you know?"

"Only for you," Harry winked at her.

The estate agent's office wasn't very far from Ginny's office and within thirty minutes she'd been introduced to Kelsey and they were sitting in Kelsey's car, Ginny in the front seat at Harry's insistence, as they made their way to the first home.

"I've found some really beautiful houses for you two," Kelsey said to Ginny.

Ginny grinned at the thought of Kelsey thinking she and Harry were buying a home together. She decided not to correct her, Harry could do that if he really wanted to. Ginny's heart did a little dance when he leaned forward and nodded in Kelsey's direction.

"We're excited to see them."

"Buying a home is an exciting time, and I'm going to do my absolute best to make it a painless process."

"We'll get along well I think," Ginny laughed, "I'm a wedding coordinator and that's exactly what my job is, just with weddings instead of house hunting."

Kelsey smiled at her, "This first place is smaller, built right after the war, but it's on a sizeable piece of land so lots of room to expand and grow, and I think it's magical."

Ginny forced herself not to laugh. This had to be exactly what she sounded like as she took brides around. She glanced back at Harry who smirked at her. Yep, she sounded just like Kelsey.

"And here we are," Kelsey pulled in front of a small home.

Ginny looked out the window and realized Kelsey was right, this place was magical. The house looked quite a bit like Ted and Vic's home actually. The same sort of wrought iron fence blocked off the front garden, but rather than the two stories of Harry's current home it was a single story home.

"Let's go inside," Harry stepped out and opened her door. "I want to know what you think."

The home was cozy, and at first, Ginny really loved the idea of Harry having a home that was like the one he lived in currently. But the more of the house they saw, the more she noticed Harry's disinterest.

"I want to see the back garden," Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him through the back door, shutting it behind them.

Harry quirked a brow, "Gin, darling, I am positive Kelsey can still see us."

Ginny rolled her eyes, he could be such a boy some days. "Do you not like the house?"

Harry blinked, "It's fine."

"Really? Because you look like someone is trying to sell you an insurance policy on your telly."

Harry laughed, making Ginny break into a smile. "Alright, you caught me, I'm not really into the house."

"Then tell Kelsey," Ginny pointed back at the door.

"But you're having fun," Harry looked confused. "Why should we stop just because I don't like the house?"

"Because you're the one buying the house, dummy."

"Oi!" Harry poked her side and Ginny jumped closer to him, laughing as he capitalized on her proximity to tickle her sides.

"Fine," she cried, "you're not a dummy, you're a sexy, intelligent bloke who needs to pull his head out of his arse and tell Kelsey you want to see the next house."

Harry's fingers stopped tickling and pulled her against him. He held her a moment before sighing. "Alright, let's go tell Kelsey it's time to move on."

And on they went. The next home was a bit better, built within the last ten years and had all the modern upgrades. But after some prodding by Ginny, both figuratively and literally, Harry finally admitted he was hoping for something with more character.

"I think you'll love this last one then," Kelsey nodded as they climbed back into the car. "It's a Georgian style home but the owners have completely updated it. It's a treasure."

Ginny smiled, "See, love, all you have to do is speak up and Kelsey can work her magic."

Apparently, Kelsey specialized in black magic.

Ginny didn't realize it until she got out of the car to see the last home. It was beautiful, the brickwork shown like it had just been laid, and the simple garden was well groomed. But as she turned to comment to Harry, he sat stone-faced in the backseat of the car, staring straight ahead.

"Harry?" Ginny shared a confused look with Kelsey.

"I'll just go get the door opened and meet you inside," Kelsey fiddled with her phone.

"Thank you," Ginny gave her an encouraging smile before turning back to her boyfriend-turned-statue in the back of the car.

"Harry," she opened the door and peered at him, "what's going on?"

Harry continued to stare straight ahead like his life depended on it.

"Harry please say something, you're worrying me."

"This was my parents' home." His voice was tight and he sounded angry, but his words fell like lead weights on Ginny's heart.

She stared a moment, not sure what to do. Part of her really wanted to see the house, to see this part of Harry that he never talked about. But the other part of her wanted to do the right thing and tell him they'd leave now.

Harry spared her the decision.

"You should go in. I'll wait here."

Ginny hesitated, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you should." His voice had lost the anger it held before and now sounded dead, devoid of any emotion at all.

Ginny bit her lip and looked back at Kelsey waiting for her at the door.

"I'll just take a quick look around and then we'll head back."

Harry nodded but still wouldn't look at her. Ginny shut the door and then hurried to Kelsey.

"Harry's feeling a bit dizzy at the moment. He'll join us if it gets better."

Kelsey frowned. "We can come back another day."

"Let me take a quick look, and then I can describe it to him. Along with that and the listing images he can decide if this is one he wants to see himself."

Kelsey nodded and stepped into the house, guiding Ginny in with her.

It took Ginny's breath away. The entrance was grand, the normally cramped entries to these homes had been blown out into an open concept, rising the full two stories of the house; the stairs leading to the second floor were beautiful and Ginny followed in a daze as Kelsey took her on a quick tour.

Everything was brand new and exactly what Ginny would have picked out if she'd been asked her preference. The back garden was a child's dream with so much space to play, a treehouse, and a large playset. The kitchen opened to the back patio, creating the illusion that the house didn't actually end with the outside, the outside was just the next room.

Kelsey led her up the beautiful staircase with a continual narrative on all the current owners had done to give the old home a modern update. The master suite was luxurious and walking into the other bedrooms gave Ginny the feeling that little children would come bursting behind her at any moment to jump on the beds. She could see herself here, she could see her family here, she could see her life here.

It was perfect.

It was heartbreaking.

Ginny kept catching glimpses in her mind's eye of a little Harry running about with his mum; of teenage Harry kicking a ball around in the back garden with his dad; of Harry and his mates in the treehouse; of Harry waking up in one of these rooms; of Harry going to bed in one of these rooms; of Harry waving goodbye to his family from the front door for the last time.

"This is lovely," Ginny forced a smile for Kelsey, "I'll talk with Harry about it and we'll let you know if he wants to come back."

Ginny wanted to come back. Ginny wanted to come back with all her belongings and never leave.

"Of course," Kelsey's smile was far more genuine than Ginny's, "and the owners aren't living here, it's all staged, so we can come back any time that's convenient."

"Thank you, Kelsey, you've been wonderful."

Ginny braced herself as they walked back to Kelsey's car. Harry still sat in the backseat, his elbows now resting on his knees, his head resting in his hands.

"Poor bloke," Kelsey shook her head before very carefully opening the door.

"Harry," Ginny opened the back door, "let me sit next to you."

Harry gave a shuddering sigh before scooting over, his position not changing enough for her to see his face as he moved to make space.

The ride back to Kelsey's office was awful. Kelsey kept glancing back at Harry, not budging from his melancholy position, and Ginny was left to sit next to him with a hand on his shoulder like it was enough.

It wasn't.

It absolutely wasn't enough.

When finally they arrived back at the estate office, Ginny pulled Harry into his car, took his keys from his pocket, and drove them home - well, technically Ted and Vic's home, but she didn't give a damn right now whose name was on the house. That drive was not only quicker because she was focusing on driving rather than how powerless she felt, but also because Harry finally straightened upright and she could see his face. She wasn't sure which was worse though. In Kelsey's car Harry seemed to be in anguish. In his own car, he seemed dead. His face was devoid of any emotion, like a statue, beautiful but lifeless.

When she parked in the drive, Harry finally spoke. "I'm going for a run" He stepped out of the car slowly, his movements rigid.

"Alone?" Ginny couldn't keep the panic from her voice. She didn't fully understand what was going on with him, but she did know Harry wasn't himself and she didn't want him off on his own in his current state.

Harry paused and looked at her, his face remaining statuesque, but his eyes started to show a small spark of himself. "On the treadmill, in my room."

Ginny released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It came out in a whoosh of relief and left her feeling a bit lightheaded.

"Ok, I'll make dinner when you finish your run."

Harry nodded, his eyes losing their spark as he started to turn from her. Why was he closing himself off to everything? Why wouldn't he trust her to help him? Why was his grief still so fresh?

Ginny wasn't a stranger to watching people mourn, her mother had lost her twin brothers while they were serving in the military. And her mum definitely had a day or two during Ginny's childhood where it affected her like it was yesterday even though it happened before Ginny had been born, but it was different with Harry. Her mum could laugh about the good times she had with her brothers. She smiled at the similarities between her brothers and her own twin sons. She was happy to have been with them for the time they'd been able to have.

Harry didn't do any of those things.

Harry clammed up any time his parents or Ted's parents were mentioned, and Ginny kept forgetting there were godparents because Harry would never speak of them. She hadn't even seen pictures of them. None were in the house that she knew of. Something was off in how Harry handled his grief, but Ginny wasn't sure what the cause was. The evidence of it was everywhere around her as she stood in the living room, listening to the thump, thump, thump of Harry's steps on the treadmill above her, looking for pictures of Harry's family. What wasn't evident was the root of the problem.

"Aunt Ginny!"

Ginny spun just in time to catch Vic's hug.

"How'd house hunting go?" Ted waggled his eyebrows at her. He'd been just a touch pleased with himself when Ginny mentioned she'd be helping Harry pick out his home.

Ginny sighed and shook her head. "Fate is a fickle mistress."

Ted's eyebrows lowered and his forehead creased with his frown. "What do you mean? Did it not go well?"

"We looked at three places today," Ginny looked around the room again, looking for pictures that would not appear, "and the third, by coincidence, happened to be Harry's childhood home."

Ted let out a low whistle. "I'd love to see that."

Ginny looked up sharply. "You've never seen it?"

Ted shook his head, his bitterness seeping into his frown.

"Where are the pictures, Ted?" Ginny looked at him closely. "Where are the pictures of your parents, of Harry's parents, of his godparents?"

Ted shook his head and huffed, "I've got all the pictures of my parents in my room."

"What about their things? Your mother's jewelry, your father's watches, where are those?"

Ted more or less fell on the sofa and threw his head back, looking up at the ceiling. He didn't look almost twenty anymore, now he looked so much older as the strain and stress pulled on his features.

"I have everything that belonged to my parents and grandparents, Harry made sure of that. A lot of it is in boxes in the attic, but he told me it's all there. I don't know about his parents or godparents. I'd like to hope they're somewhere in the attic too, but trust me, there's no point in asking."

"We could show her your boxes," Vic sat next to him on the sofa, taking his arm and pulling it around her shoulders. "You said looking through the pictures helps sometimes."

Ted held Vic for a long moment and Ginny envied her niece, envied that she could do something, that she could help, that Ted would let her help.

Finally, Ted looked over at her and spoke, "You alright getting a bit dusty?"

Ginny chuckled, "Absolutely."

Ted first took her and Vic to his room where Ginny found two full walls plastered with pictures of a beautiful woman with bubble gum pink hair and a rugged looking gentleman with a smile that was so full of mischief it made him look fifteen years younger. It also happened to be the smile that Ted had inherited.

"I like to think, with their pictures here, that they can watch over me." Ted's voice was quiet and there was a small sad smile on his lips.

"You should put some of these out in the other rooms."

Ted didn't look at her, just shook his head and stood and headed for the attic, beckoning them to follow. Vic gave Ginny a sad smile before following her fiance.

Ginny's frown was set in place as she climbed the ladder Ted had pulled down. Ted had already started opening old cardboard boxes when she made it up behind Vic.

"This one has all the pictures that were in albums of my folks and me." He touched a box with his foot. "And all these here have my parents' and grandparents' things."

Ginny peered over Vic's shoulder to the album she held and smiled at an engagement picture of Ted's parents. A large lump formed in her throat when she noticed that the ring on Vic's hand was the same ring on Ted's mother. Then Vic turned the page and Ginny stared in wonder as she looked at a picture of a man who had to be Harry's dad.

They were identical in appearance, except for their eyes.

"That's James," Ted pointed to the man Ginny had been staring at. "And that's Dad," his finger moved to the next man in the picture, "and that's Sirius."

Ginny smiled at the trio. They looked like they would have been the best people in the world to know. The picture looked to be from Ted's parents' wedding, based on the tuxedos they were wearing.

"Here," Ted reached over Vic and turned the page. "This is Lily, Mum, and Marlene."

Ginny's eyes went wide as she looked down at the woman who gave Harry his captivating green eyes. Her hair was red, but a much darker shade than Ginny's own. And her smile was wide and full of happiness. Ted's mum looked like all of the brides that Ginny had coordinated weddings for, joyously and superbly happy.

Vic continued to turn the pages of her in-laws' wedding album, but Ginny was scanning the poorly lit attic. Ted was right, if Harry kept anything from his parents and godparents, it would be up here. Slowly she moved through the space, reading Harry's handwriting scrawled across the boxes. As she moved to the furthest, darkest corner from the attic opening, she pulled out the flashlight on her phone to better read the writing on the boxes. She had to brush the dust off, the layer at least a couple of centimeters thick, but she felt her heart rate pick up at what she had found.

The box simply said "Mum and Dad." Ginny brushed off the dust from the next box and the next. Each had "Mum and Dad" written across the top. She found ten medium sized boxes that all apparently held Harry's parents' personal items and eight boxes that had one word written across the top "Black."

Ginny fought within herself. She wanted to pull the lid off of every box and lay everything out on the floor, inspect every single item. She wanted to find the Potter's wedding album. She wanted to find Harry's baby album. She wanted to see pictures of Harry growing up, of his friends, of his primary school, of him being awkward in A-levels. She desperately wanted access to this part of Harry's life. But if he wanted to share it with her, he probably would have already. She knew he hated to talk about anything that happened before he became Ted's sole guardian. And she would bet her next paycheck he'd be upset if she went through them without asking.

Her hand rested against one of the boxes, waiting for her brain to make a decision.

"Gin."

Ginny bit her lip and tensed. She hadn't heard Harry come into the attic with them, and apparently, Ted and Vic didn't think to announce him.

"Gin," his voice was tight, and at first Ginny thought he was angry. But when she turned to look at him, there was nothing angry in his expression; there was only fear.

"Sorry," she dropped her hand from the box.

Harry reached for her hand as it fell, pulling her back from the dark end of the attic toward the ladder. Vic and Ted watched them silently, but Ted's eyes betrayed his pain.

"You're taking those with you when you move out." Ted didn't look up from his parents' wedding album as he addressed his godfather.

Harry didn't respond, he didn't even look at Ted, just climbed down the ladder and offered Ginny his hand. Ginny stared down at him, feeling a mixture of confusion, sadness, and frustration.

"I'll get dinner going," she smiled at Vic who was watching with a bit of apprehension in her face. Vic nodded but watched Ted like he might be a ticking time bomb. Ginny didn't blame her, while Ted's face was as calm as Harry's had been when they made it home, his voice lacked that dead quality Harry's had taken on. Ted was not happy, he was not indifferent, he was hurt and he was upset.

Ginny climbed down the ladder, taking Harry's hand. She started for the kitchen, but Harry pulled her again, heading for his bedroom. Ginny followed, still too caught up in her own emotions to really know what she actually felt about the situation. Harry quietly shut the door behind them. He released her hand and walked to the window, leaning against the frame and looking out into the back garden.

Ginny sat on the bed, trying to collect her thoughts.

"What did you think?"

Harry's voice pulled her back out of her head. She tilted her head trying to guess what he was referring to.

"The house," he clarified, seeming to catch on to her confusion.

"Oh."

"You didn't like it." It wasn't a question.

"No!" Ginny tried to keep the panic out of her voice. "It was perfect! I loved it!"

Harry continued to stare out the window. "So you want me to pick that one?"

Ginny shook her head, "I'd never make you do that."

"What did they change? Kelsey said it's been updated."

"I don't know what's different."

"Then tell me what it looks like now."

Ginny wanted him to look at her. She wanted him to seem alive again, because aside from his pulse, he was no more alive than the family he buried nearly 21 years ago.

"Harry," she hedged.

"Did they restore the hardwood floors?"

"Yes," she huffed.

Harry waited, silently staring out the window. Ginny sighed and shook her head before telling him how absolutely wonderful his childhood home was, how everything was exactly what she would want.

How it simply felt like home.

Harry's expression didn't change, he didn't even shift his posture. When Ginny fell silent, Harry took a deep breath.

"I'll ask Vic and Ted to get you back to your car. I have a client who needs me for a meeting tonight." He pushed off the wall and took Ginny's hand, pulling her to her feet. He slowly brought his lips to hers, his hands cradling her neck and face.

Ginny threw herself into his kiss, trying desperately to pull him back to her, to bring life back to his eyes, his expression, his voice, his being. Harry's kiss was slow, savouring each second as it ticked past.

"I love you," he whispered against her before pulling back entirely and walking to the door.

"Harry," Ginny called out. He paused but didn't turn. "I love you too, no matter what."

Harry's shoulders dropped and he walked out the door, leaving Ginny standing in the middle of his bedroom, more confused than ever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 will go up on Friday, June 28th midday Mountain Time.

It wasn't a total lie, Harry reasoned as he drove North. Neville was a client, one of Harry's first actually. But Neville wasn't having a meeting, he wasn't in a business that would have many meetings, and Neville wasn't actually aware that the Harry Potter who ran his security remotely was the same Harry Potter he'd grown up with. He didn't know, because Harry had lied.

Don't misunderstand him. Harry had wanted Neville to choose his business because Nev wanted to use Harry's company, not because he was a friend. And as they had communicated almost exclusively via email since Neville now lived nearly four hours away, the lie continued fifteen years later. That had been because Harry wasn't too fond of what Neville had decided to specialize in.

See, Nev had gone on to be a psychologist, and Harry had found right after everything happened with his family that everyone kept pushing him to talk about his feelings. No one knew it was his fault that his family had perished, so he didn't begrudge them their assumed kindness, but he still hated that everyone's immediate reaction was to talk about how he felt. Once Harry finally got everything set up with his security business nearly five years after it all, he also found out Nev had gone into psychology. Harry figured no psychologist could resist making broken people talk about how broken they were, especially when they were old friends. So rather than risk Nev pulling the truth from him, Harry lied.

But now, well, Harry knew he needed help. He needed to know how to tell Teddy and Gin what he really was. He needed help figuring out how to move forward when they cut him off. And he figured that Nev would at least be willing to give him some advice before he told him he'd find a new security business.

Today had made him realize it was time. Seeing his parents' home again, Ginny standing at the boxes of all the things his family left behind, Teddy's rightful anger, Ginny loving his childhood home enough to live in it, all of it made him realize that he loved them all too much to keep lying to them. They deserved better. They deserved to spend their lives with people worth their love and their time.

Harry checked into a hotel once he arrived and sent a text to Teddy saying that he'd be home tomorrow. Teddy always assumed, and rightfully so, that Harry meant he was staying with Gin and that suited Harry fine. Then he emailed Neville and told him he would be stopping by in the morning. Once the logistics ran out, so did Harry's mental ability to shut down everything that had happened and everything he was committing himself to do.

He wanted them to be happy, and Teddy would be happy with Vic and her family. It was going to kill him, but he'd known from the beginning this would have to happen. Harry had known since the day he brought Teddy home from Andromeda's funeral that he would have to tell him, and that little boy who held onto him so desperately would want nothing to do with him. Harry knew the day would come.

But Ginny.

Harry had never expected to end up with someone like Ginny in his life. He hadn't ever thought someone would want him, would seek him out, would tell him that they loved him no matter what. Harry had never thought he'd end up tricking someone like her, someone as wonderful and amazing as Gin was.

And for a moment, Harry thought to stop it all, to email Nev and cancel, to pretend none of this happened, to drive the four hours back right now and tell Ginny he loved her and he'd buy back his parents' home and bury all of his guilt so far down that he could selfishly keep her to himself forever. Giving up Ginny felt wrong on so many levels, but he couldn't trap her like this, he was sure she would be happier without him.

She deserved better than him, someone who was honest, someone without so much darkness haunting them. She deserved a chance to start fresh and avoid all his demons.

Harry lay on the bed, trying to clear his mind enough to sleep, but he was haunted by images of mangled cars and still faces, of Teddy's obvious anger, but mostly by the sound of Ginny's parting words to him, and a kiss he had no right to take from her.

* * *

Harry walked into Neville's little office space the next morning very tired. An elderly woman sat at the small reception desk and smiled at him.

"How can I help you, dear?"

Harry cleared his throat, wishing this wasn't so hard.

"I'm Harry Potter, I run all your computer security, I need to speak with Dr. Longbottom."

The woman beamed, "Of course dear, Dr. Longbottom sent me a text last night saying you'd be coming in. He's in his eight-o'clock appointment but he doesn't have anyone at nine and he slid you in there."

"Thank you," Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. He still had fifteen minutes to wait. "Do you mind if I sit and get some work done?"

"Be my guest," the woman grinned and gestured to the five chairs that sat in front of her desk.

Harry slipped out his laptop and tried to keep his mind on everything other than what was about to happen. He hadn't felt so much internal turmoil since the day that Andromeda made him Teddy's sole guardian. The fifteen minutes seemed to drag along at a snail's pace. Harry could swear he was writing emails at record speed based on how he seemed to be getting more done than he ever managed to get done in his office.

Finally, he heard the door open and watched a gentleman nod to the receptionist before heading out the door. Then out stepped Neville.

Harry quickly closed down his laptop and slid it back into the bag.

"Mr. Potter," Neville's grin was wide, "why don't you step into my office and we can discuss what you emailed me about last night?"

Harry nodded and followed his old friend back into his office. Neville hadn't changed much, his hair had darkened a bit and his face had the worn lines of age and experience, but not much else was different. He actually looked a lot like his dad from what Harry remembered of Frank.

Harry's musing was cut short when Neville shut the door and pulled Harry into a tight embrace.

"I knew it! I knew it was you!" Neville let him go and then slugged his arm. "What the hell did I do, Potter? Why try to keep me in the dark?"

"You, you knew?" Harry blinked as Neville's words processed.

"Of course I knew you, idiot. I grew up with you, I think I'd recognize one of my best mates." Neville sat down and gestured for Harry to do the same. Harry sat down in the chair across from the desk. Vaguely his mind registered that there wasn't a sofa in Nev's office. For some strange and unknown reason, that comforted Harry.

"I'm sorry." Harry shook his head. "I didn't want you to use my business just because we were friends."

Nev chuckled, "Harry when I hired you I knew exactly who you were."

Harry quirked a brow, "How?"

Neville chuckled, "I'm sorry to disappoint you but I was listening when you were going off on different tangents during A-levels. I figured out who you were."

"You were always a clever prat," Harry gave in to the smile pulling on his lips.

He'd missed Nev.

"Now that's out of the way," Nev leaned back in his chair, "what brought you up here?"

Harry flinched. For a brief second, he forgot he was seeing Nev for something other than reconnecting.

"Harry," Nev pushed back forward, "is everything alright?"

Harry almost backed out, everything within him screamed to grab his backpack and bolt for the door. But it was all drowned out by the memory of Ginny. She deserved better, and he was a putz if he didn't show her that.

"Did you hear about my folks?" He knew the answer. Nev had been at the funeral. But Harry had to start somewhere.

Nev nodded, "I'm so sorry. How's Teddy?"

"Brilliant, he's getting married in about three months."

"That's great, Harry. He's lucky to have you."

Harry huffed, "I don't think so."

Nev leaned over the desk and clasped his hands in front of him. Harry didn't dare make eye contact.

"Why do you say that?"

Harry took a deep breath and said what he should have said to Andromeda and Ted Tonks in the days following his family's death.

"It's my fault that Teddy doesn't have his parents. It's my fault that I don't have my family."

Neville answered him slowly. "What makes you say that, Harry?"

"I offered to watch Teddy and they all decided to go out that night." The words felt like cotton in his mouth. "If I hadn't offered, Remus and Tonks would be planning Teddy's wedding with him, not me."

"So, you blame yourself for the deaths of your family."

"Of course I do, Nev," Harry snapped, finally looking up at his old friend. "It's my fault!"

"Not the fault of the drunk driver?"

Neville's face was calm and Harry felt fury boiling in him. Why was he so calm about this? He was supposed to hate him, tell him what an awful person he was, agree with him that he wasn't worth Teddy's time, let alone Ginny's

"When's the last time you had alcohol, Harry?"

Harry felt like the question hit him from behind, and he blinked at Neville.

"Before the accident, right?" Neville pressed.

Harry glared at him but nodded. What did alcohol have to do with anything?

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'?" Harry yelled. "Every time I look at it I see  _them_. I was next of kin! I went to the morgue! I sat there with a screaming little boy because his mum and dad weren't coming home! And it was my fault! I caused it! So forgive me for hating the site of alcohol because it's a constant reminder of everything I did to end the lives of the people I loved the most and to rob my godson of a family and happy life with them!"

Harry felt the lump rising in his throat and tried to swallow it down.

"And I never told anyone, Nev. I sat next to Andromeda as she died in the hospital and I couldn't tell her." The tears escaped him and Harry wiped at them with the back of his hand in anger. "And Teddy doesn't know, and now there's Gin and they both deserve so much more, so much better than me. Teddy's fiance's family will take good care of him, and they'll love him. He'll be happier without me. And Ginny, she needs better than me, she deserves to know what I am."

"What are you, Harry?" Neville's voice was soft, calm.

"All those years at a fancy school and you can't see a murderer when he confesses to you?"

Neville laughed and for a moment Harry yearned for the old days, when he and Nev would climb into the old Cortina Mark IV Harry bought and drive around like maniacs, when things were so much simpler, when his family was still with him.

Neville handed him a small framed picture.

"Harry, this is Hannah," Harry looked down at the woman in the frame. She was standing against a light pole with a bright smile on her face.

"Your wife?" Harry flinched at how much he'd missed of his old friend's life.

Neville nodded as he took the frame back.

"Hannah and I have been married for six years, and we'd very much like to start a family. We've been trying for four years now. The doctors we've seen all say that there's nothing medically wrong with either of us. Neither of us is unhealthy. Yet here we are, four years into trying, and no children."

Neville looked down at the frame, a sad sigh escaping his lips.

"What would you say if I told you it was Hannah's fault we weren't having kids?"

"I'd punch you in the mouth," Harry frowned.

Neville, however, smiled, "I'd hoped that would be your response. It's incorrect to say that the problem is her or me. It's not. It's what has happened, and we're working through it as best we can."

Harry felt a great deal of confusion as he stared at his old friend.

"It isn't anymore Hannah's fault that we haven't had kids than it is your fault that your family perished, Harry." Nev set the frame aside and looked back at him. "And as your friend, I'd feel similarly inclined to punch you in the mouth for suggesting the latter."

Harry hung his head in his hands. "When you put it like that I sound like an arse."

"No, you sound like a man who was never given the opportunity to grieve. You became Teddy's guardian just over a year after your family died and you spent most of that year taking care of Andromeda and Teddy."

Neville moved around his desk and knelt next to Harry. "Mate, did you even once over these years take time to actually feel the pain for yourself? Not feeling for Teddy, but feeling the loss of so many people close to you?"

"I don't know, Nev," Harry shuddered under the weight of nearly two decades of unprocessed grief.

"Then let's talk about how you can grieve now." Neville put a hand on his shoulder. "And after, I want to know who Ginny is."

And for the first time since his family perished, Harry felt something that felt an awful lot like hope.

* * *

Neville's ten-o'clock appointment canceled last minute which he used to help Harry learn how to grieve and let go. Harry wasn't particularly fond of the idea, but Nev assured Harry the problem was not him, it was a lack of grieving.

Five minutes before Neville's eleven-o'clock appointment, Harry stood to leave.

"Thanks, Nev, I'm not sure if I would have managed without you."

Neville pulled Harry into a hug, "Mate, this is what friends and family are for. We reach out and we help each other heal from what the world throws at us."

"Send me a bill for the two hours and I'll wire you the fee." Harry slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Nah," Neville shook his head, "Hannah and I will come down and you take us and Ginny out to dinner together. That's the only payment I'll accept."

Harry chuckled, "Let me know the next time you're down my way then. I know of a few places."

Neville hugged him once more before seeing him out.

Harry started the drive back down and took the first step that Nev had suggested. He called Kelsey.

"I'm so glad you're feeling better," Kelsey's voice sounded through his Bluetooth.

"Yes, I'm sorry for yesterday," the next words seemed to cut his throat as he spoke them, "I'd very much like to see that third home. Could you arrange it, preferably today?"

"Of course," Kelsey's answer was far too chipper but Harry reminded himself that most people weren't grieving the majority of their adult lives.

After setting the time he called Teddy, who didn't answer. Harry assumed that he was in class and left a message. Nev said it would be good for Teddy to be a part of this process, it would be good for him to see Harry finally grieve. Harry didn't like it one bit, but Nev had been insistent that it would help with the anger Harry was sure Teddy harbored against him.

The next call was the one he was both anticipating and dreading.

"Harry," Ginny answered before the first ring had finished.

Harry felt the tension ease at the sound of her voice.

"Gin," it was more of a sigh than a greeting, like when you walk in your door after a few days away and let the feeling of home wash over you.

"How are you?" Ginny's voice betrayed her concern and Harry felt sick with guilt for a moment.

"I'm better," it was true. Talking with Nev, as much as he hadn't wanted to at first, had really helped him feel like maybe, maybe Teddy and Ginny would understand. Maybe they'd be willing to see him as worth their time, their effort, their love.

"I'm so glad," Ginny sounded relieved.

"Are you busy tomorrow?"

"No, but I'm not busy today either."

Harry was tempted, tempted to put off this awful mess of feelings in exchange for the blissful oblivion that he felt with Ginny. But she deserved someone who could be as whole as possible, someone who didn't have nearly two decades of grief to handle.

"I need to have Teddy help me with something today, but I'm all yours tomorrow."

Ginny sighed, "Fine, I guess I can wait till tomorrow."

Harry chuckled, "You're going to give me a big head."

"Not a chance," Ginny shot back, "you're running under the assumption I want to see you because I love you. In reality, you're just an assuage to my tedious existence."

Harry laughed, and it felt so good to laugh.

"Man, Gin, not pulling any punches today, are you?"

"I never do, love."

The seriousness in her voice left Harry without the ability to breathe for several seconds, but the iron in it kept the hope in him alive. Maybe she wouldn't dump him after all of this. Maybe she meant it when she said she loved him, no matter what.

* * *

There were a million memories that flooded Harry as he drove through the old neighborhood. There was Oliver's place, where he'd host pick up football games every day after school. He'd always told Harry to try and go pro. Oliver had done just that. He passed Mrs. Figg's home, she always had cookies for him. He wondered if she was still around or not; if he knocked on her door if she'd be the one to answer?

There were kids running around, the weather just tolerable enough to play outdoors. Teddy used to live for days like today this time of year, and as the sadness hit him from that thought, Harry let it. He let the feeling fill him, instead of crushing it as he'd always done. He allowed himself to grieve that he had raised his godson, rather than blame himself or shut himself down as a bad godfather for being the reason he didn't have parents. At first, the feeling was so heavy Harry thought it's weight would crush him, and he pulled off to the side of the road to allow the tears to fall. But slowly, the weight ebbed and Harry pulled in what felt like his first real breath. He felt lighter somehow. It still hurt, but it wasn't incapacitating as it always had been before.

Maybe Nev knew what he was talking about after all.

Harry managed to meet Kelsey on time, but getting out of the car felt like climbing the last ten yards of Everest. Somehow, he managed.

"Ginny really loved this one, I could tell." Kelsey grinned as she unlocked the door.

Harry only nodded and smiled. It felt so weird to be let into\ what was once his home. But once he stepped inside, he saw it was no longer what he grew up with, it was better.

It looked like his mum had left drawings of everything she'd ever wanted done to the home and someone had found them. What Harry thought would be a trip down memory lane, felt more like stepping inside his mum's dream.

"Do you mind if I just look around?" Harry asked, trying to figure out how to politely ask Kelsey to leave him be.

"Of course," Kelsey smiled, seeming to pick up on the hint. "I'm sure Ginny told you all about the amazing things the current owners have done. If you have any questions I'll just be right here."

Harry climbed the steps to his old room. The room looked nothing like it had when he had lived there. The walls now a crisp off-white rather than the beige they'd been as he grew up, and no longer covered in posters of bands and footballers.

It wasn't his room anymore, and that felt both sad and relieving. It was sad to feel like this part of his life could never be brought back, but it was more so a weight off his shoulders. It was almost consoling, that this room was no longer his, that it looked nothing like when he lived here on his own until Andromeda had been diagnosed with cancer and Harry had moved in with her to help take care of Teddy. It felt good to know it wasn't going to feel like he was right back in the thick of those awful months by being here.

The memories flooded Harry as he walked from his room to his parents' old room. Nothing was the same. The room used to be rather large with a small bathroom. The current owners had taken part of the bedroom to widen the en suite into something much more luxurious. The guest rooms that used to house his dad's study and his mum's office were set up as bedrooms now, and being in them lacked the sharp pain of memories Harry was sure he would feel. They felt normal, as though maybe one day children would grow up in them.

Maybe his own children?

The thought felt strange and surreal, but also... hopeful...like maybe one day he'd be a father and a godfather.

The back garden was where the emotions caught up with him, mostly because it was untouched. The tree house his dad and Sirius built him sat in the tree as though twenty-five years hadn't passed. The lawn still seemed to stretch for miles in front of him, though it was only maybe a quarter of a football pitch if that. He was lost in those memories when he realized his feet were moving, and his hands had started climbing the rungs of the tree house ladder.

It wasn't difficult to get in, his dad had told his mum they'd made the whole thing big enough for adults so that they could rescue the lads if anything happened. Harry knew it was because his dad and godfather used to use the tree house while he was at school.

The memory made Harry smile as he looked at the old carvings he'd made. Some were with his dad, others with Nev, one was from the last time Harry was in the small space. He'd brought Teddy up, the night everyone perished, and had carved Teddy's name into the tree.

 _"Now you're one of the lads, Teddy."_ Harry heard his voice echoing from the past.  _"We'll be great mates, I'll show you all the best things. And you can always come up here whenever you want to."_

Harry shuddered as finally, the pain hit him full force. His chest constricted and Harry wondered if he might pass out; from the way his chest was caving in on itself, he almost expected to. It was excruciating, to feel so much at once, and more than once Harry wanted to lock it all back away, to forget it all again, but Nev promised this would help, and this path meant keeping Teddy and Gin, so Harry gritted his teeth and let the tears run.

Slowly Harry ran out of tears, and the crushing weight of sadness seemed to slip away. He felt lighter again, the pain still there but not so sharp.

Maybe it was working.

Harry tried to clean his face off as best he could before returning to Kelsey.

"I'd like you to start the paperwork on this home."

Kelsey almost squealed, Harry was sure it took a great deal of effort on her part not to.

"Absolutely! I'll get everything drawn up and send it over to you tonight."

Harry grinned, it felt right to buy the house back, to start the road his parents had hoped for him their whole lives.

"Thanks, Kelsey," Harry shook her hand, "Keep me posted."

Harry climbed into his car, hoping Teddy would be willing to help him through this next bit.

* * *

"What are all these?" Teddy looked at the boxes strewn across the floor in the sitting room.

Harry looked up from his laptop and sighed, "This is what I should have done a long time ago."

Teddy stepped closer to one of the boxes.

"These are James' and Lily's things." Teddy looked up with wide eyes.

"And those are Sirius and Marlene's," Harry nodded to the smaller cluster of boxes.

"Why are they down here?" Teddy's hand rested on the box closest to him, his fingers drumming nervously on its lid. Harry wondered if Nev was right that this would be good for him, it certainly didn't look that way right now.

"Have a seat, Teddy," Harry closed his laptop and set it aside.

Teddy eyed the boxes once more before settling in next to Harry on the sofa.

"I guess first, I owe you an apology." Harry ran a hand into his hair.

"If you apologize for not being my parents, I'm going to leave."

"No, I owe you an apology for not grieving." Harry heaved a sigh and ran his hand over his face.

"Wait, what?"

"I never took the time to grieve. I've spent this whole time trying to press every emotion that came from the accident down. And I've," Harry gripped his knees, "I've blamed myself for their death."

"Harry," but Harry cut off Teddy's interruption.

"I'm getting there, but let me explain. Our family went out that night because I offered to look after you. If I," Harry paused to swallow the lump in his throat. "I felt that if I hadn't offered to watch you, they'd all still be here. Then when your grandparents passed away too, I shut down all my grief. The only thing I ever let myself focus on was you. I told myself that my suffering was some sort of penance for my killing our family. So I threw myself into being your parent and keeping you safe." Harry felt the tears pressing on the backs of his eyes and sniffed at the wetness in his nose before going on.

"But yesterday I visited an old friend who happens to be a psychologist and he talked through it all with me. His process has made me feel like I'm back to the day we buried everyone, but I think it's helping too." Harry finally looked up at Teddy, his head felt heavy as he did so. "He suggested you be a part of this grieving step."

Harry pulled the box closest to him over in front of them. "I would like to go through all of these things with you and tell you about them, what they are, who they belonged to, and their significance to our family. When we're done, I'd be happy to go through your parents' boxes and do the same. I don't know much about your grandparents, but I'll go through it all with you as well."

Teddy was silent as he looked back at Harry. His face showed nothing, something Harry was sure Teddy had picked up from him, a bad result of how he'd handled everything for so many years.

"Teddy?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Teddy snapped, his facade finally breaking with a furrowed brow.

Harry flinched. He should have known better.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have offered, I should have just done this in my room. I'll get all of these out of your way." Harry pushed up to stand when Teddy pulled him back down.

"No," Teddy rounded on him, "you're going through every fucking box here with me so I can make sure you do it! How in the hell could you spend so much time trying to make sure I handled my parents being dead well and completely miss that you were fucking yourself up?!"

Harry stared at his godson, mouth agape as Teddy's words sunk in. Teddy was right. He had read several books about how to help a child who had lost their parents grow up into a well-adjusted adult. They were sitting on one of the lower shelves in his office. But not once did Harry look internally and apply the lessons to himself.

"I don't know Teddy," Harry hung his head in his hands as he leant over his knees. "I don't have answers, I'm sorry, but I'm trying to fix it now. I'm trying to make it so I deserve you."

"And Ginny," Teddy added, the bite in his voice softening.

Harry chuckled, "I'll never deserve her, but I'm going to try and show her I'll do my best for her."

"Good," Teddy's teasing smile found its way onto his face, "because if you were thinking of doing something stupid I'd punch you in the mouth."

Harry shook his head but laughed in spite of himself.

Teddy put a hand on Harry's shoulder and gestured to the boxes, "Let's get started, we've got a lot to go through."

This was by far harder than being in his childhood home had been. The house had been so different that it had put a buffer up against the memories. But these boxes, they had no buffer. He didn't even remember what had gone in them, just Andromeda helping him fill them. Andromeda made most of the decisions of what stayed and went. She had been amazing. She helped Harry with his parents' home and the Black's home while also arranging everything for Ted's funeral. It had been such a blur, Harry merely remembered putting everything Andromeda handed him into the boxes, closing them, and hoping to never look at them again.

Harry managed to stay his tears until Teddy pulled out the book of fairy tales that his mum had read him every night as a small child. The tears came hard and fast after that, and they continued with each item pulled from the boxes. Some things were easier to look at, he was able to even laugh at some of the photos that were there. Other things pulled the breath out of him, like his parents' wedding rings, especially when he realized that Marlene and Sirius' rings were in one of their boxes. And some things brought the heavy sobs back, like his mum's paintings from when she decided she wanted to learn how to paint, specifically her portrait of him shortly after he started A-levels.

It went on like that for hours. At one point, Teddy ordered pizza. Later he pulled out ice cream. But as they kept going, the moments of laughter and fun stories started to outweigh the moments of heavy sobbing. And when they packed up the last box of his parents' things at nearly three in the morning, Harry wanted to pull it all back out and start hanging it all up on the walls and laying it out on the kitchen table.

"I'll go through Sirius and Marlene's things with you in the morning." Teddy yawned and stretched his arms over his head.

"Don't you have class tomorrow?" Harry rubbed his eyes, pushing his glasses into his hair.

"It's just review for our exam and I'll be fine. This is more important. Besides," he chuckled, "I want to get to the stories about my parents."

"Then let's get to bed," Harry yawned, "because I have some work to do as well tomorrow."

Teddy followed Harry up there stairs and paused outside his bedroom. "It gets easier, Harry. There are still days where I miss them so much it drops me, but those days aren't nearly as often as they used to be, and I know it'll get there for you too."

Harry pulled Teddy into a hug and just held him. He had no idea what he'd been doing while raising his godson on his own. But obviously, he'd done something right for the kid to grow up to be so strong. And Harry felt security in knowing that he'd have Teddy in the rest of his life now. He was going to earn that. And maybe, if he could earn having Teddy in the rest of his life, Harry hoped he could earn it with Gin too.

* * *

Harry and Teddy took another five hours to go through all of the Black's boxes the next day. Harry was tempted to stay on the keep the momentum and get started going through all of Remus and Tonks' things, but he also really wanted to see Ginny. And since he'd promised to see her that day, and he had been keeping Teddy from his fiancée, Harry decided to call a timeout. Teddy wholly agreed, and so Harry found himself heading to Ginny's shortly after she let him know she was leaving work.

His heart beat like gunfire as he drove and by the time he arrived at her door Harry was sure he was going to faint away from the speed of his palpitations.

But then there was Ginny.

She opened the door to him and threw herself into his arms, pressing her lips to his and clinging to his neck as though she might float away. Harry instantly returned her fervor, and as he did so he felt his heart slow down. He felt his breathing relax. And he felt his mind stop.

It was heaven.

And he stood in heaven for who knows how long, for all he knew it could have been the entire month of April, but Harry wasn't pulling away. He was going to lose himself in Ginny. He was going to drink her in and savor every sound she made, the way she tasted when he ran his tongue against her, her smell that filled his nostrils with what could only be described as flowery, and the feel of her body beneath his hands.

He never wanted to stop, but alas, cruel oxygen made them pull apart, and the need for air left them panting in the open doorway, clinging to each other.

"Want to come in?" Ginny chuckled and looked up at him.

"I'm rather enjoying this," Harry furrowed his brow and pretended to consider. Then he smirked.

"I know, let's go in and pick up where we left off out here, preferably someplace where I don't have to remain standing."

Ginny rolled her eyes but pulled him inside as she intertwined her fingers with his.

"Talking first, and eating," she pointed to the stew reheating in a pot on the stove, "then we can pick up where we left off."

Harry smirked, "Alright, but know I'm only doing this because we'll need our strength for later."

"You're such a boy," she laughed, and Harry let the sound wash over him like a cool Spring breeze.

"How did the meeting with your client go?"

Harry cringed at the question. Leave it to Ginny to cut right to the heart of matters. But the sooner he talked through it all with her the sooner he could start showing her he could improve and become someone she could be proud of, someone she'd want to keep around.

Preferably forever.

"It went really well. I, er, well the client is an old friend, lives up north now."

"Really?" Ginny's voice was suddenly calm and level like you'd use to keep from spooking a kitten.

Harry sighed, he wasn't a frightened cat, just a broken man.

"Yes, he and I grew up together. I, er, I haven't seen him since there funeral for my family."

Ginny held out a bowl to him with a gentle smile. "Was it nice to see him in person again?"

Harry took the bowl and filled it, walked to the table and waited for Ginny to join him before continuing.

"Yes," he stirred his stew, "it was nice, the drive was good, stayed the night in a hotel. Neville is a psychologist now. I, well I wanted to talk to someone."

"There's nothing wrong with needing to talk to somebody, love." Ginny covered his free hand with her own.

"Yes, I get that, in theory." Harry took a deep breath. "Well, we talked, and he pointed out that I haven't grieved at all for my family, that I've locked myself off to feeling anything but anger about it all, that I was wrongfully accusing myself of their deaths, and that I need to stop."

Ginny squeezed his hand and Harry looked up to find nothing but love looking back at him.

"Can I help?"

It was so Ginny it made his heartache. He didn't deserve her, her love, her devotion, her caring. But dammit he wanted to!

"Just be patient with me. Nev said there will be days where I'll feel the grief more than others. But if I keep allowing myself to feel the emotions and work through them then it'll slowly get easier to move forward with my life."

"I can do that," Ginny grinned before taking a bite of stew.

Harry felt relief seep into his bloodstream and calm the nerves that had built up in him about talking this out with Gin. She didn't tell him to take a hike. She didn't point out what a stupid idiot he was. She held his hand and asked if she could help him.

He was one lucky prat.

And he decided to capitalize on the feeling. He pushed his bowl to the side and moved Gin's as well before renewing their earlier efforts with greater passion than he had before with the door open.

"Are you alright?" Ginny sighed into his ear as he moved his lips to her neck.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Harry whispered against her before realizing that she wasn't matching his passion with her own.

"Well, with everything you said, and with it being just yesterday, I thought…" Ginny trailed off as Harry slid his hand under her shirt.

"Gin," Harry chuckled, "I'm grieving, not dead."

Ginny laughed and relaxed into him, and it felt like home. Her hands in his hair, her lips on his skin, her soft sighs as his hands caressed her perfect body. Harry's resolve strengthened in that moment; all the pain was going to be worth it if it meant he kept this amazing creature with him. He was going to make himself worthy of her love. And then he was going to ask her to never leave.

"Harry," Ginny's voice pulled his conscious back.

He hummed against her skin, eager to return to the oblivion that only existed in her.

"I love you."

Harry pulled back and felt his chest tighten with emotion.

"I love you too," and he kissed her because he needed to show her how much he really did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter goes up on July 13th!
> 
> Let me know in the comments if you want to see this end with a Hinny engagement or with a Hinny wedding (the latter would include seeing Ginny plan her own wedding).

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Ginny had no idea what she was signing up for when she asked Harry how she could help him in his learning to grieve. The last couple of months had been both amazing and excruciating. Harry had opened up to her in more ways than she could count. He went through every box of his parents' and godparents' things with her. It had taken weeks for him to tell her every story that went with every picture and every belonging. And most times a story would spark another memory that he'd kept locked away for so long and it would just start to pour out more and more of the life he had before it had been ripped from him. The immense sharing would come in waves before mellowing for a time and then come crashing down again.

Harry's mood was often off as he tried to ride this roller coaster. He never took the grief out on her, for which she was grateful, but it was painful to watch the man she loved suffer so much. That pain only increased when she realized that impatience and frustration were quickly starting to replace her sympathy. She wanted her boyfriend back. She wanted to feel like she could reach out to him for help without also worrying she was adding extra stress to him when he was already stretched as thin as cling wrap.

And she felt immensely selfish.

She had a wonderful life, and here she was complaining that she didn't have a perfect boyfriend. Ginny wanted to smack herself. What was wrong with her? Was she really so shallow that she was getting angry because Harry wasn't at her beck and call? She didn't want to be that girl. She wanted to be the woman who Harry could depend upon and rely on to hold him up and support him.

She just wasn't sure what would hold them up when she crumpled under the weight of the two of them.

But Ginny didn't have a whole lot of time to think about that inevitability because she had a wedding every nearly weekend of the summer and Vic's wedding, the most important one, was only two weeks away. So she buried herself in work and holding Harry upright and trying very hard not to feel her own emotions until she had time to process them all, whenever that would end up being.

It certainly wouldn't be tonight. After a full day of work, Ginny was meeting Harry and his old friend Neville and his wife Hannah for dinner at Harry's favorite Indian place. Ginny could feel her exhaustion in her bone marrow, but Harry had been really excited about this and Ginny couldn't bring herself to cancel on him last minute. He had enough problems without her adding to them by acting like a tired and spoiled child. Ginny pulled her hair up into a quick knot and headed out the door.

The restaurant was one Ginny loved, but she didn't love how far away from her it was. The drive was forty minutes without traffic, and getting there for dinner from her flat always took at least an hour. But it was close to Hannah's parents where the Longbottom's were visiting for a couple of days. Incidentally, it was also the same area that Ron and Hermione lived in. Ginny found that thought comforting, like some external force was looking out for her. That thought flitted away as soon as the traffic made it apparent that she would not be making it to dinner on time.

"Hey Gin," Harry's voice reverberated around her car through the speaker system.

"Hi love," Ginny bit her lip and hoped that she wasn't stressing him out, "I think I'm going to be late. This traffic is horrible."

"I think I am too; you're right, traffic is awful today," Harry chuckled, "I'll call Nev and let him know. Keep me posted and be safe."

Ginny let out a huge breath in relief, "Will do. I love you."

"Love you too, Gin." Harry disconnected the call and the radio took over Ginny's car speakers again.

The hour and fifteen-minute drive unfortunately only left Ginny with time to think, and since she couldn't be going through her wedding coordinating emails and files, her mind wandered right to how much she wanted her relationship to be normal. She had been panicked for the briefest moment when she realized that she needed to call Harry and tell him she would be late. That was ridiculous, especially given that he wasn't upset with her about it. He'd had handled it with a sense of humor. But she had worried all the same. Worried that she was going to stress him out. Worried that she'd somehow trigger him. That it would be her fault that he felt pain. And those feelings brought anger. Why couldn't he just be normal? Why did she have to love him so much that she was so against being the one to cause him pain? Why did she care? Why couldn't it be easier? And the anger was always followed by an overwhelming shame for her selfishness. And the cycle spun in her head like a top, tightening the emotions inside her like a guitar string, waiting to see if it would snap.

Somehow she kept control of herself, and pulled into the parking lot, finding a spot near Harry's car.

"Gin," Harry called out when Ginny stepped inside the little building. Ginny smiled and reminded herself that she loved this man - and that he hadn't been inside her head for the last hour and change. He had no idea things were hard right now, and she needed to keep it that way.

Harry met her halfway to the table with a kiss that managed to melt enough of her aggravation out that she could better hide the rest of it. The way he looked at her when he pulled away helped a bit too.

It was gone far too soon as he turned her toward their table and introduced her to his friends. "Gin, this is Neville and Hannah Longbottom. Nev, Hannah, this is my girlfriend, Ginny Weasley."

"It's great to finally meet you, Ginny," Neville shook her hand. "I've heard nothing but amazing things."

Ginny looked up around, "Are you sure you're at the right table?"

Harry pinched her side and she jumped closer to him.

"Oi, I have very good taste," He gave an indignant huff.

"That's obvious," Hannah smiled at Ginny. "But Harry tells us you're a wedding coordinator and I want to hear all about that."

Ginny regaled them with stories of the weddings she'd planned over the last nearly ten months of working with Wedding Composition. She told them of the most expensive wedding she'd coordinated where the dress alone was equivalent to six months of Ginny's rent payment, and the venue was more than the down payment Harry was putting on his parent's home to buy it back. She told them of the Highland themed wedding up in Scotland with kilts and bagpipes. Hannah loved hearing about the different religious ceremonies Ginny had needed to work around as well. From Jewish to Catholic to Latter Day Saints to Wiccan to a Hindu ceremony to combinations of religions in order to make everyone happy, Ginny was now rather fluent in the basics of marriage ceremonies in several different religions.

"What about for your wedding?" Hannah asked. "What are you going to do for yours?"

Ginny felt her chest tighten and she avoided looking at Harry. Of course, she had thought that maybe, hopefully, she and Harry could have a future together. But she wasn't going to push him into it, and she honestly wasn't sure how to fit that into what their lives looked like right now. Maybe once Harry was feeling better, maybe when the wedding season slowed down, maybe when the stars aligned.

"I, I haven't really thought too much about what my wedding would look like." Ginny forced the smile to stay on her face, praying that she wouldn't trigger Harry.

"Really?" Neville's voice was soft and he had a small smile on his face. "In all the weddings you've planned, you've not thought about your own?"

Ginny had never wished harder for the power of telepathy. Neville was Harry's freaking shrink, why on earth was he pushing something so volatile right now?

Ginny was saved by the server setting down their food, and the conversation thankfully moved on from weddings and on to other, less volatile, topics.

And it was fun. Ginny had shown up exhausted, but as they continued talking she found her fatigue fading to the back of her mind. Neville and Harry ended up roasting each other with stories about growing up together. At first Ginny was nervous when Neville brought up one of his and Harry's shenanigans from childhood. But Harry laughed and added to the story before bringing up another memory. And for the rest of dinner and dessert, Ginny felt like they were going through another box from Harry's attic. The difference was that Harry didn't break down in the middle of any of the stories. He smiled. He laughed. And he was happy while reminiscing about the past. It gave Ginny just a sliver of hope that maybe he would be able to look back at the memories of his family with that same happiness too.

"This has been wonderful," Neville yawned, "but we're heading home tomorrow morning so I think we'll call it a night."

Ginny reached into her purse and pulled out her keys. "That's probably smart. I have a cake tasting tomorrow morning to be at."

Harry looked at her with an adorable pout, "You're working tomorrow? I thought you didn't have a wedding this weekend."

"I don't have a wedding this weekend, but tomorrow morning was the only time this couple could manage to be together for the tasting." Ginny kissed his cheek. "I'll be around after lunch."

Harry grinned and caught her lips before she could pull away completely. "Can I come over and play?"

"Harry!" Ginny laughed and shot an embarrassed glance over at Neville and Hannah.

"Just pretend we're not here," Hannah winked at her, standing when Neville offered her his hand.

Ginny followed suit and laughed when Harry caught her wrist, pulling her into him. "Please let your boyfriend walk you to your car."

"I suppose that I could do that," she smiled up at him, getting lost in his green eyes and the smile that had been painfully absent in the last little while.

"It was nice to meet you Ginny," Neville called out, Hannah's laughter harmonizing with his.

Ginny buried her face in Harry's chest for a moment before turning and waving goodbye.

"How early is your cake tasting?" Harry led her towards the door and their cars.

"It's not until ten, but I need to stop off at the office before that and check on a couple of things for Vic and Ted's wedding."

"Can I come by at lunch tomorrow then?" Harry ran his hand along her waist and kissed her exposed neck.

"If you don't stop I might crumble and just blow off all these weddings for you."

Harry laughed and Ginny loved the way it made her heart soar. It felt like old times, back when they first started dating.

"I won't tempt you too much then. Did you still want to be at the signing for my parents' home on Monday?"

Ginny slid her key into her door and nodded. "I've cleared my calendar for it. I want to make sure you give me one of the keys."

Harry ran a hand into his hair, "Maybe you could use it to bring some stuff over."

"Of course I'll help you move your stuff," Ginny leant between her car and the open drivers' door and looked up at Harry, the black sky mixing with the black of his hair. It would have been alluring if not for the fact that his brow was furrowed in the dim light as he looked down at her.

"Right, right, my things, right, thank you," he pushed his hand through his hair and pulled on it a moment. "I hope you know how much I appreciate how supportive you've been this last while. I don't know if I would have been able to do this without you."

Ginny pushed up and brought her lips to his, trying to pull the smile back to his face.

"I'll text you as soon as I'm home from the cake tasting."

Harry patted her cell phone in her back pocket and grinned against her lips, "I can't wait."

Ginny chuckled and pulled back to climb into her car. "I love you, Harry."

Harry brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I love you too, Gin."

It only took forty minutes to drive home, mostly because Ginny arrived home at half past eleven, and the exhaustion had completely set in at that point. She remembered that she needed to get the cake tasting appointment card out her purse, and almost chose to make it wait for morning, when she realized she didn't have her purse.

That was weird, normally she didn't forget her purse in the car. Sighing that she couldn't just fall into bed like she wanted to, Ginny trudged down to the car park and opened the passenger door to grab her purse.

Except it wasn't there.

Ginny's exhaustion seemed to evaporate instantly. She tore her car apart for almost five minutes before accepting that her purse was not in her car.

She must have left it at the restaurant.

Ginny ran upstairs to her flat where she had left her phone and called the restaurant.

"Yes, we did find a purse at that table, and it does match your description, ma'am." The hostess' voice was calm and friendly. "If you can make it back before we close at midnight then you can get it tonight, or you can come by tomorrow when we open at eleven and pick it up."

Ginny's heart stopped. She'd never make it. And she needed her business charge card for tomorrow, or even her own card, any card to be able to pay for the tasting.

"I, er I live too far away to pick it up tonight, but if I could maybe find someone I trust closer, could they come by and pick it up?"

"If you can tell me their name they offer identification then yes, I can let someone come get it for you."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, I'll call right back and let you know if I can have someone come pick it up for me." She just hoped Ron would pick up.

"Ginny?" Ron's voice was full of concern, and a little groggy. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine in that I'm not in any danger but I need to ask an enormous favor," Ginny held her breath for his response.

"Sure, sis, just give me a sec," Ron's answer was whispered now and she heard the shuffling of sheets.

"Alright," Ron yawned, "what's your huge favor that involved waking me up?"

"Sorry," Ginny had been hoping she wouldn't be waking him, but she knew better. Rose wore him and Hermione out. She'd make it up to him somehow. "I left my purse at that Indian restaurant Harry loves and if I can't get it picked up before they close in fifteen minutes then I won't be able to get it until eleven tomorrow and it has my wallet in it and I need the company card for tomorrow and,"

"I'm on it, Ginny, call them and tell them I'm coming."

"Thank you!" Ginny nearly cried. "I'll come to yours and get it from you. I have my keys, just leave it inside your front door and I'll use my key to grab it so you can go back to sleep. I'm so sorry and,"

"Don't be stupid, I'll bring it to you. And I'm hanging up before you can argue with me about it. Call them and tell them I'm coming."

Ginny started to argue, but true to his word, Ron disconnected the call.

Shoving aside her frustration, she called the restaurant, confirmed that Ron could pick up her purse for her and then fell onto her sofa to wait. Ten minutes later she got a text from Ron saying he picked up her purse and was heading her way.

Ginny then found herself in that awful position where the exhaustion was back but the adrenaline was still coursing through her, keeping her mind running full bore.

That turned out to be an awful situation.

It started with the frustration at forgetting her purse. That frustration quickly turned to frustration at Harry when she realized that she forgot it because he was distracting her. Nevermind the logical side of her brain that reminded her that she had loved him distracting her. The frustration at Harry quickly shifted to anger at how hard it was to support him through dealing with his grief. Especially when she needed him right now. This summer had been and would continue to be stressful and busy. But Harry needed her, it was obvious in how he'd asked to see her tomorrow - er, today - and how he'd asked for help moving his things without right out asking. And she needed to be there for him.

The weight of it all was crippling.

Ginny's emotions spun in her head as she waited for Ron to show up with her purse, twisting her up inside until she was barely holding back tears.

Ron thankfully showed up before she completely lost control.

"Everything alright?" Ron frowned at her when she opened the door.

"Oh, you know, just having a mental breakdown." Ginny shrugged, taking her purse from him.

Ron didn't even ask, he just shoved past her and into her flat. Ginny turned to see him rummaging through her cupboards.

"Does Hermione not feed you these days?"

Ron looked up in surprise, "You're upset. I'm making tea." He finally opened the cupboard that held her mugs and grinned in triumph. Then he began rummaging again looking for her tea bags.

"Ron," Ginny sighed, noticing he'd already turned on the kettle, and slumped into her chair.

"Sit," Ron focused on finding her tea and cried out with a loud "A-ha!" when he opened the drawer she kept it all in.

Harry had laughed when he'd figured out she kept her tea in a drawer probably meant for silverware, but Ginny insisted that the boxes fit perfectly in said drawer, so why would she bother with a cupboard?

Thinking about Harry pushed her back into the twisted mess of emotions that she'd spun, but Ginny forced it all back, trying to maintain control. She was gratefully and momentarily distracted when Ron set her mug in front of her.

"I hope you still take it like you did during university because it's all I remember for how you take your tea."

Ginny grinned at the over sugared and over milked drink. She wasn't going to tell Ron that she no longer took her tea this way, but it felt good to know that he had paid attention when they were both living at home and taking classes. To her surprise, the tea brought a wave of nostalgia, a longing for a simpler time in her life, when she wasn't having to function on such a high level. The undertow of that wave pulled her right back into the depths of the breakdown she'd been fighting, and this time she had no energy to fight it, and she let it pull her under.

"Let it out," Ron shoved his chair closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You'll feel better after you cry."

And Ginny did let it out. She cried all the emotions out of her system. She let out the stress from wanting to make Vic's wedding perfect. She let out all the stress from worrying about Harry. And she let out the stress from feeling like her relationship had become incredibly one-sided, and the fear that it would always remain so. When the tears had finally run their course, Ginny sighed.

"I'm pathetic."

"None of that now," Ron stretched from his chair to reach the box of tissues by the sofa. "I won't sit here and listen to you shame yourself with lies."

Ginny gratefully took a tissue and tried to clean herself up. At least it was her brother that had found her in this state. He understood that Weasley's were ugly criers the lot of them.

"Listen, I know things are stressful with Vic's wedding but trust me," Ron squeezed her shoulders, "you're brilliant and it's going to be everything she's dreamed about and then you can get back to normal."

"Ron," Ginny choked, "it's, it isn't just the wedding."

Ron turned to look at her face. "What else is going on?"

Ginny slumped under his gaze and looked away. "I'm worried about my relationship."

Ron was quiet for a long moment before clearing his throat, "Er, in what way, exactly?"

"Everything feels very," Ginny shook her head, "one-sided right now. I'm killing myself to be there for him and I'm worried that I'll ask too much of him while he's processing nearly two decades worth of grief, so I'm giving everything and asking for nothing and I'm drowning in all of this."

Ron grinned at her and Ginny wanted to punch him. "I'm so happy you could find some joy in my misery, brother dearest. Why don't you give me a papercut and then pour lemon juice over it while you're at it?"

"I'm not laughing at you, Ginny." Ron pulled his tea to his lips and drank deeply. "I'm smiling because you're in a real relationship."

"You're telling me that one person giving everything and the other being incapable of giving everything is the definition of a relationship." Ginny stared at him incredulously.

Ron shook his head, "It's part of the definition, yes." Ron set his mug down and smiled at her. "Ginny, real relationships, the kind that last as long as Mum and Dad and longer, they're the ones where both sides of the relationship know that they can have those times where they need to ask everything of the other person, and that they're willing to give everything when their partner needs it too."

Ginny shook her head, "You don't understand. There have been a few moments where I've thought that maybe I really didn't like Harry."

Ron laughed out loud, "I certainly hope you have."

"You like Harry! You invited him to play on your pick up football team!" Ginny ignored the irony of defending Harry after having just admitted to having moments of disliking him.

"I think Harry is the best bloke you've ever been with," Ron's shoulders shook as he chuckled, "but I don't think you're really in love with a person if you don't have moments where you think you might hate them."

"Isn't hate the opposite of love?" Ginny felt like Ron was speaking some warped dialect of crazy.

"Not at all," Ron took another drink, "the opposite of love is indifference. That's why you see enemies to lovers in the movies a lot. Hate and love are on the same side of the line. Indifference is their real opposite. If you end up not caring at all about Harry, in that he could stay or he could go and you wouldn't really care, now that would be a problem. But when you know an imperfect person so well that you can both love them and hate them, then you're only left with one question: will you choose to hold on to each other through all the emotions, especially the hard ones?"

Ginny took a deep breath and just processed Ron's words. "So, there have been times where you hated Hermione?"

Ron laughed, "Yes, Ginny, there are moments where I may hate Hermione, but I always love her more than anything that might make me momentarily hate her. And you know what, there's probably ten or twenty times a day where she does something that could annoy me, and I still love her more than all of it. And she'll tell you the same thing. But here's the thing, emotions are based on what's happening around us and how we react to those scenarios. Which means that our emotions will change. And I can tell you that every argument that Hermione and I have had has been because of a misunderstanding. We might end up making it worse by being blatantly obtuse with each other, but it always starts because one or both of us took something the wrong way."

"So what do you do? How do you make yourself stop hating her in those moments?"

"Depends, sometimes I'm on my game and I catch that I'm upset about something silly, but not usually. What's great about emotions is that circumstances change. So something that upsets me now probably won't still upset me in twenty-four hours."

Ginny looked down into her tea, "What about those things that might not change?"

"Well," Ron paused, "Hermione hates how I wash the dishes. But I'm not relearning how to wash dishes. So one day she sat down with me and said that she didn't like how I did the dishes and asked if I would please just help with the laundry instead of the dishes. That more or less fixed things. I still don't do the dishes the way she likes, but for the most part that doesn't come up because I'm folding clothes instead."

Ginny chuckled, "Was that when you were first married?"

"Nah, that was last month."

Ginny stared at him, "But you've been married for almost five years!"

Ron grinned, "Yep, it took Hermione and me a while to realize that hints and hoping the other person will read our mind doesn't work. You have to be willing to be vulnerable and let your partner know when you're struggling to work through something. If you're continually upset about it, then bring it up. Oh and don't start out by saying that they're making problems. Hermione hates when I do that."

Ginny laughed, "Yeah, I can see why she would."

"Look," Ron picked up his empty cup and took it to the sink. "I know that sometimes in a relationship, especially a new one, it can feel like those hard moments aren't going to go away, that since the hearts and roses haven't lasted forever that you're doomed to fail. But remember, things change, you change, they change, but usually, it's a good change, usually it's growth, and usually, you can choose to fall in love all over again. Don't throw away love just because you've realized that there are other emotions involved. Learn to hold on to each other tighter through the hard times than through the good. You'll be surprised what it feels like to love someone and be loved by someone who is going to push through the storm with you, even when you both might sometimes feel like it would be easier not to."

Ron's words washed over Ginny and for the first time in weeks, she felt like she had an idea of what to do.

"Thanks, Ron, I really appreciate all this."

"Sure thing, and Ginny," he put a hand on her shoulder, "I really think Harry is worth holding on to."

Ginny nodded, "I think so too."

* * *

"Hey," Harry grinned at her when he opened the door, "I thought you were going to text me when you finished up the cake tasting."

"The bakery is close by so I thought I'd surprise you." Ginny smiled when Harry closed the space between them and kissed her.

"I was hoping we could talk." She murmured against him.

"Then stop kissing me back," Harry chuckled against her.

Ginny pulled back and laughed. "Fine, not kissing you."

Harry moved to kiss her again but she turned and slid through the door.

"Alright," Harry followed behind her, "what are we talking about?"

Ginny led him up the stairs to his room but didn't answer him.

"Gin?" Harry's voice had a tinge of worry in it.

"It's nothing bad," Ginny assured him as she sat down on his bed and he closed the door behind them. "I just," she sighed.

"Hey," Harry joined her on the bed and pulled her close to him, "whatever you need, I'm here."

Ginny willed herself to trust that he meant it. "I've, I've been feeling like because you're working through your grief that I can't ask anything of you without opening you up to more pain."

Harry let out a loud breath like he'd been holding it in since she pulled away at the front door. "Well, that's both better and worse than what my gut panic suggested."

"I'm not breaking up with you," Ginny grabbed his leg. "I'm just, I don't know, I guess I'm trying to communicate with you."

"Come here," Harry tugged on her waist as he scooted up to the pillows at the head of the bed. Ginny followed him back and nestled into his outstretched arms.

"I won't lie, that kind of sucks to hear." Harry sighed as his hand began rubbing up and down her arm.

"It sort of sucks to say it," Ginny sighed.

"Have I done anything to make you feel that way? Or are you trying to protect me from yourself?"

Ginny thought through the question, trying to determine where the feeling had started. "I guess all this is coming from the way you shut down when Kelsey showed us your childhood home for the first time. It really scared me when you became so detached and then it felt like you shut me out and I was," she took a deep breath trying to calm the memory of how worried she was about him that day, "I was worried it would break us. That I was losing you."

Harry held her tight against him, his breathing was heavy like he was forcing it to be slow, calming himself down.

"I'm sorry I scared you." He squeezed her tightly as he said it. "I hope you know that me working through my grief is taking away a lot of the power it had over me, so that it won't be able to derail us."

Ginny felt a bit of hope in his words. She hadn't really thought about it that way. "Looking back now, I can see that I've let a lot of my decisions be dictated by fear. I was so afraid of you being right back in that mindset in the back of Kelsey's car that I didn't let myself see any change or growth. Last night at dinner I was on edge that talking about your past was going to trigger you the same way that the house did."

"Have you been on edge with everything?" Harry moved his hand to comb and play through her hair.

"Yes, but that's also been because I'm so stressed out. I've had so much work to get done and I'm so nervous about Vic and Ted's wedding because I want it to be perfect, and then I've been so scared to do anything that will make you shut down again and I've felt like I'm barely treading water." Ginny sighed. She wasn't sure if it was saying all of it out loud or if it was the way Harry was working his hand through her hair, but for the first time in weeks she felt like making it through the next day was possible.

"You are amazing, you know?" Harry kissed the top of her head. "I'm so grateful that you've been here to hold me up through all this, but please, Gin, let me help hold you up too. I may not always be at one-hundred percent, but I will always hold you up on whatever ground I have under me."

Ginny felt a calm seep into her chest and she looked up at Harry with a soft smile. "I will, and I love you."

Harry's green eyes bore into hers with an intensity that Ginny opened her mouth to ask what he was thinking, but she was cut off by his kiss. Multiple times he murmured he loved her too, and Ginny never got around to asking what he'd been thinking in that moment.

Which suited Harry just fine.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who wanted to see this continue! I'm really touched by your enthusiasm for this little fic. A Hinny wedding will be the end of this baby, and then I think I'll give myself a break from these long Hinny stories and do some short one-shots for a while. ;)
> 
> Next chapter goes up July 27th.

 

Harry wondered if this is what it felt like to be losing your mind.

In a moment of inspiration, or perhaps weakness, or maybe downright insanity, Harry "borrowed" a ring Gin sometimes wore on her ring finger. Then he took an heirloom ring from Grandma Mia that Ginny had swooned over when he'd pulled it out of one of the boxes, and had it sized to the same as Ginny's ring. Ginny's ring was back in her flat within the day.

But Harry's head and heart had declared war the moment he set Gin's ring back on her dresser.

His head told him he was being ridiculous. He was still working through his grief and wasn't in any place mentally to be a proper husband. Besides, he and Ginny hadn't talked about marriage at all in their time dating, which was less than a year, his head would always remind him. And the only time he'd gained any insight into her thoughts on the matter was finding out at dinner with Nev and Hannah that Ginny hadn't thought about her own wedding. If she hadn't thought about it, then Harry's head told him that she probably wasn't thinking of marrying him either.

But Harry's heart fought back with gorilla warfare. He'd have dreams of Ginny and him together in his new (or more accurately old) home with children that looked like their own running around. His heart would whisper how being with her always lightened the grief and seemed to fill the hole that had been in his chest since the night his family died. When she said she loved him his heart would beat faster and he would feel adrenaline pumping through his system, spurring him to either kiss her or beg her to be his forever.

He was kissing Ginny a lot lately.

What was more, Harry's heart would whisper hope in his ears whenever he thought about her, and that was a lot. Even while his head tried to show him the logical arguments against proposing, his heart murmured quietly about how much he loved her, relied on her, how devoted he was to her, and how time and time again, Ginny had proved her devotion to him too.

And this war between his head and his heart was going to drive Harry mad.

Teddy's wedding probably could have been a great distraction, if Harry's girlfriend wasn't so amazingly proficient. She was mildly stressing over the wedding being perfect, but Harry had never seen such efficiency. He had always thought that the days leading up to a wedding were supposed to be busy, but if anything Teddy seemed to have more time on his hands. Enough so that he managed to move the majority of Harry's things to his new home on his own in a single day. And Vic didn't seem to be any busier.

Ginny had everything under control, and Harry was very much in awe of it all. She even had time to help him unpack and get settled into his new place just days before the wedding.

That was still an odd feeling, living in the home he grew up in but not living in the home he grew up in. Nev assured him with time it would get better, easier, and for now to allow what emotions came to come. Harry had expected to see the echoes of his past any time he looked around the house, as he had when his parents had first passed away. But the past didn't haunt him like it used to.

Not just at his home, but in everything. He felt lighter. He felt like he could breathe. He had hope.

And having Ginny in his home only stoked that fire of hope in his heart.

"I really love how the sunset looks over the trees in the back."

Ginny grinned at him from the blanket he'd laid on the ground. It had been something his parents had done. They'd lay a blanket out on the back lawn and lounge while he played.

"I've missed this," Harry nodded and pulled her closer to him.

"Me or the sunsets?" Gin chuckled and laced her fingers with his.

"I'm going to sound sappy no matter how I answer that question."

"Maybe I want sappy," Ginny looked up at him with a teasing pout and Harry felt his chest tighten before he leaned down and kissed her.

She needed to stop looking at him like that. He was already losing his will to wait to propose till... whenever it was right to propose. But if she kept looking at him that way he was going to beg her to marry him right then and there.

"Alright, sappy," Harry grinned when he pulled back, "how about, I always miss you when we're not together?"

Ginny laughed, "Not too shabby, Potter, but pretty amateur. Are or are you not nearly two years away from being forty? Surely you can do better."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Alright, you asked for it, but I will not be held responsible for any outcome of my sappiness." He took a moment to gather his thoughts before laying it on for all he was worth.

"I've missed the sunsets here; I've missed them because they're a part of my growing up and living in this home. But I've missed most that they were something I counted on. They were constant. And when I left, when I sold it off, that constant in my life became my grief. But now, now my constant is you. So yes, I miss you whenever we're apart because you are my constant, you are who I can count on the way I can count on the sun to set each evening over my back garden. And I want to be who you count on too. I want to be your sunset."

Ginny stared at him with blazing eyes for an intense moment before pulling him down to her, lips finding his, her heart beating against his chest as he moved over her. Harry couldn't help the smirk that pulled on his lips even as he kissed her. His heart whispered that this was exactly the sort of proof to counter all of his head's arguments that a proposal was unprecedented. He was hers. He belonged to her. He should make that blatantly obvious to the world. He loved this woman and would always choose her, no matter the struggles and problems that may come.

That conviction started to take control, and even while Harry's head insisted that he keep kissing her rather than propose to her, Harry's heart started making plans.

* * *

Teddy knocked on Harry's door right on time. Vic and Teddy had decided that they would spend their last night before their wedding with their families, rather than in their home.

"How was your stag do last night?" Harry asked as he took Teddy's tux and started up towards the guest room.

"It was great," Teddy grinned, "you should have come."

Harry laughed, "What's the point of being in my late thirties if I can't get out of a party by claiming that I'm too old?"

"You're not old," Teddy threw his duffle bag on the bed as he laughed. "You're more active than half the kids I go to uni with."

"Well, I figured it would be better for your old godfather to just enjoy the evening before your wedding with you rather than try and get a word in edgewise among your mates."

"Last night as bachelors," Teddy followed Harry down the stairs, and Harry was glad to have his face away from his godson because he hoped to join Teddy's ranks as a married man sooner rather than later.

"Are you hungry?" Harry quickly changed the subject.

"I could eat," Teddy shrugged. "What were you thinking?"

"I thought we'd go grab anything you'd like and then bring it back here. Maybe find a match to put on or a movie, whatever you're wanting to do tonight."

Teddy focused his gaze on the counter to his left and didn't look up at Harry, "Whatever I want to do tonight?"

A small part of Harry told him to think before answering, but Harry didn't heed it and nodded at his godson, "Yeah, I figure this is your night."

Teddy looked up and grinned, "Grab your keys."

Harry was lulled into a false sense of security when Teddy took him to a restaurant that had always been a favorite of theirs. But when Harry moved to walk to his car when they finished, Teddy grabbed his arm.

"Whatever I want tonight?"

"Yeah," Harry pulled his keys out of his pocket and went to say more when Teddy cut him off.

"Then come on," he pulled Harry's arm again.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"I want to show you what my stag do was because I think you'll like it." Teddy pulled him further across the parking lot.

Harry looked around, trying to determine what of the surrounding buildings could be Teddy's destination, then Teddy pointed them towards one building in particular.

"You're showing me the laser tag place you went to?"

"No," Teddy's grin reminded Harry of when he used to manage to sneak cookies out of the cupboard. "I'm taking you laser tagging."

"I don't know Teddy," Harry hedged.

"You're not afraid, are you?" Teddy tried to goad him.

"No, I'm not afraid of infrared beams being directed at me."

"You said whatever I want," Teddy pulled the guilt card quickly, which told Harry how important this was to him. He was going right for the heart, and Harry felt his resolve crumbling.

"You really want to go laser tagging, when you already went this week?"

Teddy shook his head, "No, I want to go laser tagging with my godfather."

And that did it. Harry would have been hard-pressed to deny his godson anything in that moment.

"Well, then I guess we'll see who's the better shot."

"Oh, you're on," Teddy grinned.

Harry frequently joked about his age, but walking into the laser tag arena, he quickly felt like he was closer to eighty rather than forty. He was most probably the oldest person there that day. But once the round started, Harry found that his age seemed to give him a slight advantage. He may have been the oldest one there, but he was also the most patient. He didn't try to run around and recreate a video game, but his hiding spot managed to get him more hits than anyone else that round. Teddy seemed to pick up on the idea, and they teamed up on the next round, becoming their own little dynamic duo, and Harry loved it. They played four rounds before Harry reluctantly told Teddy they should probably head home.

"See, it's fun!" Teddy laughed as they climbed in the car.

"I'll admit, I was not expecting it to be fun, let alone that much fun."

Teddy grinned, "We make quite a team, yeah?"

Harry paused and looked at Teddy, swallowing the lump that was quickly forming in his throat. "We really do."

When they finally pulled up to his house, Harry pulled on Teddy's arm. "I have something I want to show you."

Teddy followed Harry through the house and into the back garden but laughed when Harry started climbing up the treehouse ladder. "Are we going to fit in there?"

Harry kept on going, "Of course we are, the Marauders used to use this place while I was at school."

Harry hoisted himself into the treehouse and turned to offer Teddy a hand in.

"I've never been in here," Teddy mused as he looked around.

Harry let out a slow breath, "Actually you have, just once, but you have."

Teddy looked over at him, eyebrows raised, "When?"

Harry moved to the trunk of the tree and knelt next to the spot where he carved Teddy's name. "The night I watched you, I brought you up here and carved your name in the tree."

Teddy joined Harry on the floor and ran his hand over his own name.

"I promised you then that you could come up here whenever you wanted," Harry sighed. "It didn't work out that way, but I'd like to make that promise again. You and Vic are always welcome here, and I hope you'll make time to keep my old arse in your life."

Teddy continued to look at the carving and Harry worried his silence was a bad omen when finally Teddy let out a long slow breath. He looked up at Harry with unshed tears standing in his eyes.

"You're not ever getting rid of me Harry," Teddy gave a wet chuckle, "I'll be around, probably more than you want me to be."

Harry swallowed the tears that threatened to come rushing out and pulled his godson into a hug.

A major consequence of Harry's grief was that he refused to let himself consider Teddy his own. Teddy wasn't really his, he just had the misfortune of ending up with the man responsible for the death of his parents. But now, so far into this process of healing, Harry realized that he did consider Teddy his own. Edward Remus Lupin may not have been his son, but Harry cared for this wonderful young man as if he were. He dedicated his life to taking care of this fellow orphan, and as far as Harry was concerned now, Teddy was as much his son as any future children he may have. And owning that feeling only strengthened it.

"I am so proud of you," Harry said quietly.

"Thank you," Teddy choked, "thank you for being there for me, thank you for being my family."

Harry knew the tears would fall if he even attempted to speak, but his godson deserved to know, regardless of if it made Harry look like a leaky pipe, "Thank you for being my family, I love you."

* * *

The next day dawned with text messages and continued with text messages. Harry wondered if Ginny had them all typed out months in advance with preset times for them to send because she seldom responded. But each text told Harry what to do with the groom and groomsmen, where to have them, when to have them there by, and what they all needed to have with them.

Harry's home was base camp for the groomsmen. They all arrived in time for a lunch of take-away pizza and then set up gaming consoles with all of Teddy's favorite games. Harry had to laugh at how fast time seemed to pass as everyone played and shouted and laughed racing around courses and shooting digital bad guys. He was almost surprised when Ginny's text to get dressed and head to the venue arrived. Harry somewhat gratefully shut himself in his bedroom and breathed in the moment of silence. Then he caught sight of a box on his nightstand and began to brood over the war that was still battling within him.

"What should I do with you, my friend?" Harry pulled the ring box into his hand and opened it to gaze down at the old ring. He didn't have many memories of Grandma Mia. She had passed on when he was eight. He didn't actually remember the ring. But he remembered her hugs and the peppermint candy she always kept for him and the sense of excitement anytime she came to visit. Mia had been one of those women who ran full speed right until her time on earth was over. She never slowed down, a lot like Harry imagined Ginny would never slow down either.

The ring caught the late afternoon sun from his window and cast a few small rainbows around the room. Harry didn't really think much about signs but his heart fluttered with excitement all the same...like maybe the ring was answering his question, maybe it was responding, telling him to get a move on.

Harry had thought about it a lot, about proposing at Teddy and Vic's wedding. It felt right, seeing as their wedding was the only reason Harry had met Ginny at all. Harry's head started to object, to throw as much fear of rejection at him as it could, but for the first time, Harry felt calm about it. Harry loved Ginny, he knew he loved her, and he knew that marriage was something he wanted with her. If she didn't want that with him, it would be best to find out now, when they wouldn't be required to see each other for wedding things, when it would be easier to let each other fade into memories. Harry felt his resolve cementing as he slid the ring back into its box and the box into his pocket.

His heart had won the war.

Most of Harry's nerves slipped away as the hustle of getting the groom and his groomsmen to the venue took over. Once they were all there, Harry barely got a kiss out of Ginny as she directed and called out orders.

"You're in charge of making sure I have access to Ted whenever I need him." Ginny pulled away almost as soon as her lips touched his.

"Aye, aye, Captain," He managed to pull a smile from her as he saluted sharply.

"Florist is in the ceremony hall, herd those boys that direction," she pecked him on the lips and was off again.

Harry sighed, he wasn't sure that he would get the chance to propose tonight at all if she was going to be this busy the entire evening. But she'd asked for his help and he was keen to deliver, and with a firm voice and an old man joke, he managed to get Teddy and his mates all into the ceremony hall and flowers distributed among them. Just as he finished that, the photographer walked in with direction from Ginny to start on the pictures of the groomsmen and the groom's family. Harry hadn't had his picture taken since before his family had perished aside from quick shots Teddy would snap with his phone from time to time, and the process felt very strange to him. On more than one occasion the photographer actually grabbed his face to point it the way they wanted. But just as Harry was ready to say something, his phone buzzed with Ginny's text to tell him it was time to grab Ted and the photographer and come to the gazebo in the gardens.

"What are we doing?" Teddy asked as they left his groomsmen behind.

Harry shrugged, "Following Gin's orders."

The photographer positioned Teddy to stand in a specific place and then politely but firmly asked Harry to stand very far back. Harry remembered to breathe deeply and not ruin his godson's wedding before it had even started. He was focusing on some of the breathing that Nev had taught him when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The photographer had placed Ted's back to the entrance to the gazebo and was taking pictures, and Harry finally saw the purpose behind that.

Vic was walking towards him.

She was radiant and stunning in a way that reminded Harry of Remus and Tonks' wedding. And Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the memory didn't overwhelm him. It felt more like an old friend than a knife wound now. Then the photographer told Teddy to stay just as he was before moving to get the shot that Harry could see had been the point of this whole situation. Harry smiled as the photographer asked Teddy to turn around.

Teddy's eyes fell on Vic who was now only ten feet away from him, her wedding dress draped behind her and her hair was piled on top of her head with a tiara that Harry had been told her mother wore at her wedding. Teddy's smile lit up his face as he stepped down all three gazebo steps at once and crossed the ten feet to his bride in two nearly leaping strides. Harry smiled as he watched the young couple kiss, and chuckled when Vic pulled away too quickly for Teddy's liking.

"We have to take pictures," she laughed when Teddy moved to kiss her again. "You can mess up my makeup after you say 'I do' not before."

Teddy groaned and ran his hands around her waist. "Alright, pictures, ceremony, and then I want to kiss you till all of this makeup comes off."

Vic blushed beautifully and the photographer snapped a picture.

"He didn't ruin your makeup," they said, "so let's have you two come up into the gazebo."

Harry smiled as he watched the photographer position the couple and allowed his thoughts to wander to what Ginny may want if she were to marry him. It was a rather entertaining game, thinking up what a wedding coordinator would want at their own wedding. Harry realized quickly that he wasn't very good at the game. Aside from feeling pretty sure she would want it to be small, he wasn't sure about anything else. He knew about the details of most of the weddings she'd coordinated, from completely posh for some minor aristocrats to helping an American girl recreate what she called a "backyard barbeque," Ginny had coordinated just about everything Harry could think of, but none of it felt like her. Maybe she wouldn't want a traditional wedding? Maybe she would want a small destination wedding? Maybe she'd want to get married on a beach at sunset? Or on a mountain top at sunrise? Maybe she would just want to sign the paperwork and have a dinner?

"Deep thoughts, Mr. Potter?"

Harry smiled as Ginny wrapped her arms around his middle, blazing brown eyes staring up at him.

"Just thinking about you," he pulled her closer and kissed her lips, sighing when she deepened the kiss instead of pulling away immediately as she had when he first arrived.

"Did you like Vic's surprise?" Ginny murmured as Harry continued to kiss her.

Harry hummed, intent on not breaking the private bubble he had been imagining was around them, keeping the rest of the world out.

"Harry," Ginny laughed and pulled away.

Harry sighed, "It was pretty special, but isn't there a thing about not seeing the bride until the ceremony?"

"When have you ever known Vic to let tradition get in the way of what she wants?" Ginny chuckled. "Yeah there's a thing, and Vic decided that it was rubbish to her and planned everything out with the photographer."

"It was brilliant," Harry pulled Gin closer, resting his hands on the small of her back, "I think Teddy was ready to take her away right then."

Ginny grinned, "Then it went exactly as Vic hoped it would. Now, if you'll excuse me, we're going to do the bride's family pictures now."

She reached up and kissed him before pushing away and walking towards the spot Vic and Ted were. It wasn't until she was a few feet away that Harry realized how good his imaginary bubble had been. He felt like he was suddenly surrounded by a sea of Weasleys.

And he loved it.

Kids were running every direction, all the adults stopped a moment to talk to him before trying to herd the group into the enormous family picture. After a few moments, the photographer motioned Harry over.

Harry felt a pain of sadness that he was the only one there to stand for Teddy. But he felt a bit of strength from the number of people who surrounded and loved his godson in that moment. Yes, he was all Teddy had left from his parents and the Marauders, but Teddy was not lacking in family now.

He was enveloped by it.

The whirl of family pictures was quickly over and Ginny was barking orders for everyone to get to their seats while Fleur ushered Vic back inside the venue to touch up her makeup and hair. And for the first time that entire day, Teddy looked a touch unsure.

"Nervous?" Harry put a comforting hand on Teddy's shoulder and led him away from the Weasley clan.

Teddy chuckled, "A bit. I'm suddenly realizing that I'm marrying my childhood sweetheart and that she might just wake up one morning and realize how much she's settling."

"You know," Harry smiled as he led them into the venue, "you're dad said basically the same thing on his wedding day."

Teddy looked over at him eagerly, "Yeah?"

Harry chuckled, "Yeah, and Dad and Sirius told him he was right, but that they had managed to keep their wives and he was a right side better than the two of them so he should have it in the bag."

"Oh man," Teddy laughed, "I can't imagine that helped him at all!"

"It made him laugh," Harry smiled as he remembered the way all four of them had laughed as they dressed in their suits. "But I think Dad and Sirius had a point, Mum and Marlene and your mum were all pretty amazing women, but they loved their husbands, and as long as you continue loving Vic as you change and grow together, I think you'll find it easier than you think to keep her around, you may even find that she  _wants_  to stay." Harry nudged Teddy with his elbow.

Teddy stopped them before they walked into the ceremony hall and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry found himself being pulled right back into those moments so very long ago when the small six-year-old boy would wrap his arms around Harry's legs or clasp him around the neck and hold on for dear life. Harry felt like he was holding on for dear life in that moment. Little Teddy was no longer little, the baby that had been thrust into his care was now a man, marrying the love of his life, and moving on to that next stage of life.

"Would Ginny kill me if you stood up with me?" Teddy asked as he let his arms fall from Harry's back.

"I thought Xander was your best man?" Harry shamelessly swiped at the unshed tears in his eyes.

Teddy nodded, "He is, but it's not like we have a whole lot of people on our side to sit with you, Ginny deliberately isn't doing a groom's side and bride's side because of it, so…"

"Yes," Harry clasped his godson on the shoulder, "I'll pay for whatever trouble it causes. I'll stand up with you."

Harry was certain that if they'd been outside Teddy's grin could have been seen from space.

* * *

It turned out that Harry standing up with Teddy only made Ginny cry, and didn't result in any homicidal feelings on her end. Harry somehow managed not to cry through the whole ceremony, just the end, when Teddy officially moved on to that next step in his life that truly left Harry behind. But while part of him mourned the way time had slid through his fingers, a larger part felt excited and proud and happy that Teddy's life was able to move forward without the chaos and hardship that had been Harry's norm at that age.

Ginny directed everyone into the smaller reception area for dinner, where Harry had hoped to sit with her, but there were several things to coordinate and Harry ended up with Teddy on his left and an empty place on his right.

That apparently was the theme for the evening.

At every point Harry had hoped to have Ginny with him, he found himself on his own. When the reception finally started with the Father-Daughter dance Harry stood with Teddy as they watched Bill and Vic spin elegantly around the room.

"Did you know your mum was a rather poor dancer?" Harry whispered.

Teddy raised his eyebrows at Harry, "What?"

"She stepped all over your dad's feet on their first dance and tripped over her own a couple of times. Your dad just smiled like it was the best thing in the world and held her up."

Teddy covered his mouth with his hand as he laughed. "Thanks, I needed that."

Harry grinned, "Just hope Vic holds you up."

Teddy stepped on his foot.

Once Teddy was safely in the arms of his new wife, Harry faded back towards the exit.

He was running out of time and he was running out of patience faster.

After scouring the venue he stepped outside and finally found Ginny sitting on one of the benches watching the sun as it finally sank below the horizon.

"Wonder Woman in the flesh," he slid onto the bench with her.

"It's beautiful," Ginny sighed, "I had to stop, just for a moment."

"It's constant, dependable, even if we can't see it or feel it, it's there." Harry pulled Ginny into him and smiled when she sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I love that."

"I love you," Harry took a long slow breath. It was now or never.

"Do you remember when I told you about the sunsets in my back garden, and how you're my new constant?"

Ginny hummed and nodded her head against him.

"I was serious when I said I want to be your sunset."

Ginny became very still for a moment before slowly moving her head to look up at him. Harry pulled the box from his pocket and slid down to kneel in front of her, the last rays of sunshine disappearing behind his back.

"I know I'm not whole, and I know that I'm sort of a lot to take on, but I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you and falling in love with you each day as we grow and change and learn to be whole together." Harry's hand trembled ever so slightly as he opened the box. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you do me the honour of letting me be yours forever?"

Ginny fell into his arms as she laughed and kissed him again and again and again.

"I'm considering this a yes," Harry murmured against her lips.

"Of course it's a yes!" Ginny laughed, and Harry had never been so happy and relieved to hear Ginny laughing in all his life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance if there are awful spelling or grammatical errors, I decided two days ago that I didn't like where I had taken this chapter and basically re-wrote everything. So I've only had a chance to proofread this once (normally I proofread at least five times). I hope it's still fun!

Engaged… Engaged! She, Ginny Weasley, was engaged!

Ginny honestly wasn't sure how to stop smiling. She was immensely grateful that she was a very organized wedding coordinator because she had been rendered useless for the remainder of Vic and Ted's wedding after Harry's proposal. If it hadn't been Ted she was sure Harry would have simply whisked her home.

Home.

His home was going to be her home. The home he grew up in, the home she had fallen in love with when she first saw it, was going to be her home. And it would be her home in a bit more than two months.

Her lease on her flat was up soon, and she had been meaning to get the renewal paperwork to them, but now she was very happy she hadn't managed that. It was much easier to just let the lease run out than to try and break the lease partway through.

"Stay home," Harry stepped up behind her and pulled her from her musings as she plaited her hair.

"I can't love, not all of us are lucky enough to work out of our home office." Ginny laughed and turned in his arms.

Harry was persistent and went immediately for her favorite spot on her neck, just behind her ear.

"You're going to make me late," Ginny's voice was breathless.

"Now you're getting the idea," Harry's voice vibrated against her skin, making her shiver.

"Don't ruin my hair," and then she kissed him.

* * *

Ginny walked into work, still unsure of how to explain showing up thirty minutes late. She managed to step into her office unnoticed and tried to get set up as quickly as possible. Maybe she could play it off as though she had just been a few minutes behind schedule and not spending half an hour being ravished by her fiance before work.

The word fiance put a smile back on her face and Ginny looked down at her hand. Her engagement ring sparkled in the light from her window and she let out a happy sigh just as Josh walked in.

"There you are, I was hoping," he stopped mid-sentence and his eyes went huge. Then he rushed her and pulled Ginny into a tight hug.

"You have to tell me everything! I want details! And who are you going to pick to plan your wedding? Oh please let me do it! I've always wanted to put together a wedding for a coordinator! You'll be my solace in the sea of bridezillas, groomzillas, and wishy-washy couples who claim they don't care!"

"Slow down there, Josh," Ginny laughed as she watched Lyndi and Emily poke their heads in to see what all the shouting had been about.

"Everything alright?" Lyndi asked with a cheeky grin.

"Ginny's getting married!" Josh grabbed Ginny's hand and held it up in the air.

And then Ginny was squished between the three of them as they all spoke on top of each other.

"Slow down," Ginny laughed. "We haven't even had a chance to pick a date yet."

"Did he propose at your niece's wedding?" Emily asked as the trio released Ginny.

Ginny felt her smile grow and she nodded. "He proposed in the garden at sunset."

Lyndi sighed happily, "I'll never get tired of hearing proposal stories."

"Of course you won't, none of us will, that's why we work as wedding coordinators." Josh laughed. "Now, who are you picking to coordinate for you?"

Ginny shook her head, "I'll just handle it. It's not a problem."

The room went so quiet Ginny could hear all three of her friends blinking repeatedly.

"You do know that your wedding would be without the coordinator's fee, right?" Emily's voice was careful, like talking to a ticking bomb.

"Of course," Ginny nodded and logged into her computer.

"So, you want to destroy your sanity because…?" Josh held his arms out to each side with his hands up toward the ceiling.

Ginny laughed, "I'll be fine."

"You know," Lyndi's voice was level, like she was explaining something to her six-year-old daughter. "It was a welcome change to let Emily handle my wedding and to just sit back and enjoy it instead of worrying about every detail the way I do for all my clients' weddings."

"I'll just plan it out so that it runs on its own. I've had to do that for corporate events before, it won't be too hard to replicate for my wedding."

Josh huffed, "Ginny I want to be your wedding coordinator and you're being difficult about it. Lyndi did a great job planning my wedding and Lyndi just told you how wonderful it was to have Emily handle everything on her day. You're not a mule so let's set a time to have your Harry come in and we can start laying everything out."

Ginny laughed at her friends' antics. "I appreciate it, really, and I'll let you know if I change my mind, but I'm sure I can handle my own wedding."

"Sounds like a plan," Emily smiled and reached for Josh's arm as she gave Lyndi a shove out the door, "Congratulations, again! We're so excited for you!"

"This isn't over, Weasley!" Josh called over his shoulder.

Ginny shook her head but smiled. Josh was crazy, but she had to admit that she loved him for it. If only he had a bit more faith in her.

* * *

"We need to pick a date," Ginny was sprawled against Harry on the sofa as he read a draft of a cybersecurity book he was revising for a colleague.

"Whatever you want, love. I'm sure Teddy will be able to make it to anything once he and Vic get home from Provence.

Ginny bit back the sadness that still hit her now that Harry could openly speak about the fact that his only family was Ted.

 _And you_ , a little voice reminded her.

The sadness was immediately replaced with the happy smile that bordered on goofy which was more or less her resting face since Harry had asked her to marry him.

"Well, how long do you think we should wait?" Ginny tapped his nose with her finger, before quickly pulling it away when Harry tried to catch it between his teeth.

"Honestly," Harry set the book down and turned to face her. "I'd marry you the day Teddy gets back. Assuming we could pry the newlyweds out of their house for an hour."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "You really got the better end of the deal with being his godfather, you know? Bill gets squeamish if you even mention that his daughter is on her honeymoon."

Harry chuckled, "If I had a daughter, I'd be squeamish too. I imagine Fleur is comfortable with the idea of Vic on her honeymoon, but she might feel different when it's Louis."

"You might be right, but we'll have to wait and see about that one. Now back on topic, when are we getting married?"

"Whenever you want to," Harry leaned in and kissed her softly.

Ginny expected him to deepen the kiss but was surprised when he pulled back.

"Wait, are you asking because the date we pick determines who plans the wedding?"

Ginny blinked as her mind caught up with the question. "Oh! No. I'm coordinating our wedding."

It was Harry's turn to blink.

"What?" Ginny tried to push down the offending feeling that started to tighten in her chest. "You saw Vic and Ted's wedding. It was amazing!"

"It was beautiful, Gin," Harry sighed and looked down at his jeans. "But I was able to spend about 10 minutes with you until I searched you down hours into the wedding and proposed. Would you even get to enjoy our wedding or would you be running around directing everyone and everything, pausing long enough to say 'I do' and then at it again until it's time to cut the cake?"

Ginny exhaled with relief. Harry just didn't know what she was capable of. He'd only seen her at the wedding she had cared the most about.

"I micromanaged Vic's wedding, love." Ginny pulled his hand into hers. "Normally I'm not so crazy and I have time to breathe at the weddings I coordinate."

Harry looked up at her and Ginny wondered if she was ever going to stop getting lost in his emerald eyes.

"My only request is that you're present for our wedding and that you get to relax and not worry about the details."

"I can do that," Ginny pushed forward and kissed him, hoping to reassure her handsome fiance that she did have this. She would plan her wedding out so well it would run itself without any hitches and she'd spend the day enjoying herself as Mrs. Ginny Potter.

* * *

Ginny waited to pick a day until Ted and Vic returned from France and she'd had time to talk with her mum, who flat out told her she was crazy for planning her own wedding when she worked with three accomplished wedding coordinators.

Ultimately, Ginny decided on the end of May for her big day and began sorting through all her possible venues and photographers and florists and DJs and catering groups within the budget she and Harry had.

"Please!"

Ginny looked up from her computer to see Josh had plopped himself down across from her.

"Please, what?" Ginny sighed, this was starting to get old.

"Please, please, please let me do your wedding! Consider it a wedding gift. Consider it a welcome break from taking care of all your clients. Or consider it an act of kindness and goodness to give me a reprieve from my clients. I don't care how you play it out in your head just please let me be your coordinator!"

"Josh, for the last time, I'm fine." Ginny went back to her spreadsheets.

"Yes, I'm aware," Josh rolled his eyes. "Fine is alright, but I could make it so you're fabulous. Wouldn't you rather be fabulous than boring old fine?"

"Josh…:

"Then let me help!" Josh leaned across her desk to look at her screen. "Let me be your shadow while you plan your big day. I'll stay out of the way, I'll be completely silent, I'll simply take note of everything so that  **if**  you come to your senses and realize you jumped on the crazy train before May, I'm prepared to rescue you from yourself."

Ginny laughed in spite of how annoyed she was. "Fine, if it will shut you up then you may be my shadow."

"YES!" Josh shoved his fist in the air and then pulled the chair he'd been sitting in around to her side of the desk. Then he pulled out his tablet and pen. "Now, tell me everything you've figured out so far."

Ginny sighed and opened up her email. "Here," she attached her own wedding document to an email to Josh and hit send. "There's everything I have so far."

Josh grinned, "You put Harry's phone number on here? Don't you have that memorized."

Ginny glanced down at the template Emily had created and chuckled. "I guess I got into coordinator mode and just started filling everything out. I do have Harry's number memorized, or I wouldn't have been able to fill that in on autopilot."

"Touche," Josh smiled broadly and Ginny shook her head. He was incorrigible, but she wouldn't really have Josh any other way.

* * *

"I don't know how you're so on top of things," Harry chuckled as they moved her boxes down the stairs to the moving van Harry had rented for the day. "I was up late doing some last-minute things to have everything ready for today."

"What on earth were you doing?" Ginny laughed as they loaded the boxes in. The autumn breeze felt refreshing against the weight of the box of books she had carried down.

"Surprises, my dear, surprises," Harry winked at her and Ginny laughed before kissing him, it was her favorite way to try and pull information from him.

"I'm still not telling you," Harry murmured against her.

"Even if I snogged you in the back of this van?" Ginny whispered.

"Tempting," Harry chuckled, "but I think you'll like the surprises better."

Ginny grinned and pushed away from Harry, "Get a move on Potter." And she went jogging up the stairs, making sure to move in all the ways that drove him mad.

Harry caught up at her door and pinned her against it before kissing her again.

"You are a minx." He whispered in her ear and Ginny shivered.

"And you appear to like it," she nipped playfully at his earlobe. She loved the fire between them; it was intoxicating.

"So much," Harry growled and Ginny thought she might very well faint dead away.

"My parents will be here in the next half hour," Ginny fumbled behind her for the doorknob.

"That's plenty of time to tide us over until you're all moved in at home," and his hand closed over hers as she finally turned the door open.

It turned out that those thirty minutes were barely enough time as her mum knocked on the door just as Harry was, most regretfully, pulling his shirt back on.

"Oh, I'm so excited for you!" Molly beamed as she picked up a box. "I always knew you'd find someone, and now you have and now you have a chance at giving me grandchildren!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry, who waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Let us get through the wedding Mum," Ginny followed Molly out the door as Arthur and Harry picked up her old sofa that they were going to drop off at the Salvation Army.

"Of course, dear, maybe one of your work friends can help you with that so you can focus on the more important things." Molly nearly skipped down the hall to the stairs.

Ginny glanced back her dad and Harry, "Mum hates grandchildren, doesn't she?"

Harry shrugged but grinned, "No one's perfect."

Arthur winked at her, "Your mum isn't the only one who's looking forward to more grandchildren."

Ginny laughed and picked up the pace to be well out of the way when her two favorite men started down those stairs with her old sofa hulking between them.

Once everything was finally loaded Harry pulled Ginny aside before she climbed into her car. "You have to promise me something."

"What?" Ginny furrowed her brow.

"Do not, under any circumstance, go inside the house before me."

"Is this part of those surprises you were talking about?"

"Yes, so please, I worked hard on this and all I ask is that you let me see your face."

Ginny pretended to pout, "You ask for so much, how on earth will I survive such a demanding marriage?"

Harry laughed before bending down and kissing her. "So you'll wait?"

"Of course I'll wait," Ginny pulled back and climbed into her car before winking at him, "fifteen minutes. Then all bets are off."

Harry groaned but smiled, "I'll be right behind you, but thank you for the incentive."

"Anything for my fiance," Ginny blew him a kiss and shut her door.

True to his word, Harry stayed right behind her as she left her old flat for her new home with Harry. Apparently, he wasn't kidding about this surprise.

"Stay right there Miss," Harry jumped out of the van and ran for the front door.

"You'd make a decent cop," Ginny laughed, turning to see if her dad had caught up with them yet.

"It was a thought before everything happened," Harry chuckled and Ginny turned to see that he had opened the door and was now approaching her.

"Trust me?"

"With the majority of things, yes," Ginny teased.

"I'm going to pretend I only heard you say yes," Harry laughed and stepped behind her before covering her eyes with his hand. "I'll guide you in."

Ginny relaxed back into him, allowing Harry to guide her up the walk and steps and into their home. She knew that whatever his surprise was would be a good thing, but she still felt butterflies as he led her into the living room before his hand fell from her eyes and she saw something completely different from what she had seen just two days ago.

The furniture that had come with Harry from the home he shared with Ted was no longer present. In their place was a combination of several pieces of furniture that Ginny had been storing up on a Pinterest board for the last few years.

"Do you like it?" Harry's voice held a nervous tremor to it and Ginny realized she hadn't managed to make any sound since he had shown her the surprise.

"It's beautiful! How did you know? How did you manage this?"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her. "Amazingly enough, I do pay attention when you're on your phone while we're on the sofa."

Ginny bit her lip and looked over at the new sofas, end tables, chairs, and kitchen table. "They're beautiful."

"And very comfortable too," Harry gave her a gentle push, "Go on, try them out."

Harry was right, everything was not only beautiful

but also lush and soft and made her want to curl up in a ball and sleep away a Sunday afternoon.

"You're a gift from all the gods," she sighed.

"Now you're just giving me a big head," Harry chuckled.

"I'm talking to the furniture," Ginny stuck her tongue out at him, "but you aren't so bad either."

"Well, fine, I guess you'd rather not see the master bedroom…"

Ginny jumped over the back of the couch and bolted for the stairs, "Race you!"

Harry laughed but was hot on her heels, catching her right before she managed to get the door open. "Damn, Gin, you're quick."

"I had six older brothers," Ginny smirked as she searched behind her for the doorknob.

"Let me help you slow down then," Harry's hand grasped hers before guiding it to the doorknob and twisting it open with her. "Ready?"

"Ready," she pushed open the door and turned around to find that Harry had completely replaced the bedroom furniture, along with the bed, and changed the paint color.

"Is it alright?" Harry ran a gentle hand along the small of her back.

"It's perfect," Ginny whispered, too overcome to manage much else. So she did what made sense, she spun around and kissed Harry for all she was worth.

On the rare occasion words failed her, Ginny Weasley could always be counted on to act. And today that action was pulling Harry down to their new bed, which was so soft she moaned when he pressed her into it.

"How far behind us do you think your parents are?" Harry asked against her neck.

A part of Ginny's brain heard him, and even knew the answer was only five to ten minutes and they really should wait for this sort of thing, but that part of her brain stood no chance at getting through the euphoria that had taken over.

Thankfully, Harry had shut the door behind them, and so her dad rang the doorbell.

Harry groaned, "To be continued?"

Ginny snuggled against the comforter once more before signing and pushing up on her elbows.

"The sooner we get my stuff in here the sooner they leave."

Harry laughed as he helped her up, "Now I know how Teddy felt while I was living with him."

Ginny pushed up and kissed him once more at the top of the stairs, relishing the way he immediately deepened the kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered as she pulled away.

"Thank you," Harry kissed her softly before smiling down at her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ginny grinned, feeling her chest burn hot.

"Ginny!" Molly called from the other side of the door.

"Coming, Mum!"

* * *

"Your friendly shadow has brought gifts," Josh waltzed into Ginny's office with a bag of scones from the cafe down the street.

"Please tell me you didn't walk down there to get these," Ginny's mouth watered at the thought of a warm scone with how cold it was outside.

"Don't be stupid, I'm not walking outside more than I have to when it's 9 degrees outside and raining."

Ginny laughed, "Then I gladly accept my shadow's gift."

"Good," Josh plopped down across from her and opened the bag before handing over her share. "Now, why haven't you scheduled a dress appointment?"

Ginny frowned, "But I did."

"With which boutique?" Josh pulled out his phone, "because the one you said you liked doesn't have any appointments for you."

Ginny felt panic start to build in the pit of her stomach. "I could have sworn I called them."

"Well, I scheduled one for you so that we could at least have a spot to reschedule if needed." Josh tapped on his screen a moment before the calendar invite was sent.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm free then, but aren't they normally booked through to the end of January by now. How did you get me in for the beginning of December?"

Josh winked, "I told them you were the bride."

Ginny felt her cheeks grow hot. Josh seemed to not notice, or loved her enough not to say anything.

"How is everything for your venue? Need any help there?"

Ginny tried to push away the flustered feeling that was tightening in her chest.

"It's good," she pulled up her emails to make sure that she  _had_  managed to reserve the venue.

"Good to hear, and remember, I'm happy to help. Just give the word." Josh picked up the bag of scones. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bribe the boss lady."

Ginny barely nodded at him as he left. Panic started to grip her when she couldn't find anything in her email confirming that she had sent the deposit to her venue.

Shite.

How could she have forgotten that?!

A sinking thought started to creep into her mind that maybe she was also dropping the ball with her clients' weddings. Ginny tried her best to push the awful idea from her head and called the venue. Thankfully they still had her wedding day open, and rather than risk it again, Ginny paid the deposit right there over the phone.

Then she started on the long process of making sure that every single client's wedding was exactly as it should be. It took her the entire workday, but she managed to confirm that it was just her own wedding that she had dropped the ball on.

She went home with a firm determination to keep that from happening again. She was going to make sure that her wedding received the same precision that she gave her clients.

Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way.

Ginny forgot to put her appointment with the florist in her calendar and completely missed it. Then she was late to the cake tasting appointment because she went to the wrong bakery for who knows what reason. But with every mishap for her own wedding, Ginny consoled herself that at least her clients' weddings were still going smoothly. Every wedding she'd put on since she and Harry got engaged had been perfect and she'd handled every curve ball smoothly and skillfully.

So why on earth couldn't she take care of her own wedding?

That was the gloom hovering over her as she headed to her dress appointment, along with the heavy gray clouds that had settled over the sky. Josh insisted on driving them there to meet Luna, her mum, and Vic at the boutique. Ginny didn't argue, she owed it to him for catching and saving her mishap. Since he was the only reason she had an appointment in the first place, she could bend and let him have control for a brief moment.

"For a bride about to pick out her wedding dress, you certainly look dismal." Josh turned down his ABBA playlist and glanced at Ginny.

"I'm just thinking," Ginny forced a smile, "there's a lot of work I have to do this week."

Josh tsked, "Put it all on the back burner future, Mrs. Potter. The rest of this afternoon is about you looking fabulous while you try on wedding gowns!"

Ginny felt a tinge of excitement start to return. Josh was right. She was picking her wedding dress today! She  _should_  be excited! She shouldn't be fretting over other details (even if they were enormous details - like her inability to plan her own wedding) right now; after all, they were sure to still be there tomorrow, so they could make do without her for the afternoon.

"You're right," Ginny gave Josh a genuine smile, "this is my afternoon to feel fabulous!"

"Damn straight," Josh winked at her and Ginny laughed. This afternoon was going to be fun and exciting, just like it should be.

When they pulled up, Josh stopped her before she could get out of his car.

"Let me give you the full experience, let me treat you like a client, just for this."

Ginny shook her head, "It's fine Josh."

"Harry asked me to make sure this was a good experience for you. He said you've been a little stressed and he'd like you to have a break."

"Oh he did, did he?" Ginny made a mental note to tell her lovely finance to keep his nose out of her work.

"Look, they," Josh pointed at the boutique door, "think you are my client. So if you don't want the full experience of being my client then I have to call them and tell them I lied and have them get rid of all the perks I ask for with my brides."

Ginny glared at Josh, but she knew she couldn't jeopardize Josh's or her own professional relationship with the boutique. The sneak had played all in, and he won the gamble.

"Fine, for the purpose of this appointment and to keep our professional lives less dramatic, I am your client."

Josh's grin looked like the Cheshire cat. "I promise you won't regret this."

Ginny took a deep breath and sighed. "I suppose we'll find out."

Luna, Molly, and Vic greeted then excitedly when Ginny and Josh walked in and Vic rushed to hug Ginny.

"I'm so happy you're letting Josh plan this for you! You'll feel just like the princess you made me feel like!"

Ginny bit back her insistence that Josh was only taking care of the dress appointment and forced a smile as she turned to look meaningfully at Josh.

"Josh definitely knows how to make sure professional bridges don't get burned. I'm sure this will be lovely too."

Vic frowned, "Right…"

"Ginny you remember Marisol," Josh gave a nervous chuckle and turned to one of the associates. "Why don't we get started?"

She hated to admit it, but it only took five minutes before Ginny had relaxed into her new role as simply the bride. It actually felt good to take off the up-teen number of hats she normally wore and slip on the bride's tiara for a few hours. She had fun getting her measurements, talking about the styles she liked and trying on the samples Marisol pulled. It was sort of freeing to have Josh there taking the notes she normally took and answering all the hard questions that she would have needed to pull her tablet out to answer properly.

It was especially nice because when Ginny tried on  _the dress_  she wasn't stressing about anything to do with her wedding or any other weddings as she stood on the pedestal and stared at her reflection.

"I guess we can go home," Luna's singsong voice seemed far away as Ginny stood captivated by her image in the mirror. "I think she's found it."

"You're beautiful," her mum's near sob started to pull Ginny back to the present.

"Harry is going to die!" Vic laughed. "I can't wait to tell Ted!"

Ginny smiled, then she felt tears on her cheeks, and as her brain registered that she was crying, Ginny laughed. She laughed and when she turned and looked at her mum crying on the sofa next to her Ginny cried along with her and laughed harder.

For the first time since Harry proposed, Ginny felt nothing but excitement for her wedding, and it felt amazing!

The moment seemed to cocoon her and her little sororitas, and Ginny didn't notice as Josh consulted with Marisol, arranging the details, keeping Ginny focused on what was most important.

When the euphoric fog finally lifted, all Ginny had to do was approve the sale.

Ginny signed on the dotted line and then took a deep breath and swallowed her pride.

"I think I owe you lunch," she turned to Josh, "and a thank you."

Josh shrugged, "You didn't kill me so I say we're even."

"Really Josh," Ginny smiled, wishing her whole wedding planning experience could feel like this, "Thank you."

"Just tell that beau of yours I did my job." Josh winked at her as she climbed into Vic's car.

"I think you have a crush on my fiance but I'll tell him you did fabulously," Ginny laughed.

Josh waved as Vic started the car.

"So, what will we be telling Harry and Ted when we get back to yours?"

Ginny sighed happily, "That it was magical."

* * *

The magic seemed to fade quickly. In the midst of holiday madness and then the New Year and Valentine's Day, Ginny continued to drop the ball on her own wedding planning.

The last straw was the beginning March when she had to pay an extra 20% to get her invitations printed on a rush order because she had somehow not managed to approve the design when she read the initial email with the proof from the designer.

She came home close to tears that day.

"Hey love," Harry called from his office. "I'll be done in just a minute."

"No rush," Ginny set everything down and moved to the kitchen.

She might as well get dinner going. Maybe she was shite at planning her own wedding, but at least her mother taught her how to cook. She started pulling pans and ingredients down and setting them out on the counter, simultaneously trying to calm the cacophony inside her head.

Why, oh why was she so useless at one of the few things she desperately wanted (and her budget needed her) to be amazing at? Ginny was just grateful she was staying on top of her clients' weddings. She didn't think she could handle it if she was letting her clients down too and not just herself.

She reached into the cupboard for a jar and as she pulled it out, it slipped from her grasp and shattered against the floor.

It was an accident, her logical thinking brain tried to calm the thundering storm of emotion that threatened to spill over with the contents of the jar onto the floor. But the emotional storm only saw the jar smashing onto the floor as some sort of foreshadowing for what she was going to end up doing to her own wedding. That the whole event would be ruined because she couldn't handle planning her own wedding.

"Ginny!" Harry came into the kitchen seconds after the jar hit the floor. "Are you alright?"

Ginny nodded, staring at the mess on the floor as she willed herself to not cry.

"You're not hurt are you?" Harry wrapped a tentative hand around her fingers.

His touch was what did her in. The tears came rushing through the broken dam as she realized that she wasn't just going to ruin her big day, she was going to ruin Harry's too.

"I'm not hurt," she hiccuped as Harry immediately tensed and his face went panic-stricken. "I'm just ruining everything! And I'm going to ruin our wedding and I just want to be able to something right!"

The last words came out in heavy sobs and Ginny collapsed into Harry as he pulled her to him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he pulled her away from the kitchen and guided her to the sofa. He held her until the sobbing had receded to simply crying before talking again.

"Gin, love, why do you think you're going to ruin our wedding?"

"Because I keep screwing it up," Ginny felt the heavy sobs threatening to return and tried to swallow them back down.

"You mean the little mishaps you've had with planning it?"

Anger bubbled up at Harry's opinion that her mistakes were minor. "Right 'little mishaps' like having to pay an extra 20% on our invitations today because I'm an idiot and didn't get them approved in time. Harry, I could lose my job for doing that with a client and I'd be the one paying that 20% out of my pocket, not the client. So excuse me for feeling like these 'little mishaps' are more than just grammatical errors in my emails!"

Harry sat in stunned silence a moment before pulling Ginny against him. "I'm sorry. I belittled your feelings and I'm sorry."

_Stupid Neville and his stupid psychology voodoo teaching Harry good ways to de-escalate._

"I hate your friend," Ginny muttered as she felt the fight start to go out of her.

"I'll let Nev know," Harry chuckled. "Do you want to talk more about what's wrong and how I could help?"

Ginny heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't know what to do."

"Well," Harry furrowed his brow, "When I say that to Nev, he always asks me three questions. First is how do I feel now; the second is how do I want to feel, and third is how do I think I could get there from where I am now."

Ginny huffed, "Fine, right now I feel like absolute shite. I feel like a failure."

"Alright," Harry nodded, "and how do you want to tell feel?"

A very large part of Ginny wanted to answer with some smart remark, but Harry was trying and she determined she could put that effort in too. So she really considered it, how did she want to feel? The answer hit her so fast she laughed.

"I want to feel the way I did at my dress appointment." In spite of how awful she felt, just the memory of her dress appointment brought a smile to her tear-streaked face.

Harry's grin was immediate, "So how do we get you there from here?"

That step felt a bit more like a gut punch. She would have to call Josh and admit that she couldn't do this, she couldn't plan her own wedding.

"Hey," Harry brought a gentle hand to her cheek, "where did that beautiful smile go?"

Ginny sighed, "It got swallowed up in my pride. To get myself from where I am now to where I want to be, I have to admit to my work that I wasn't cut out for planning my own wedding, that I failed and all my insistence that I could do this on my own was me having a big head."

"First of all," Harry shook his head, "I would be willing to bet our house that if your job wasn't coordinating weddings you would have handled ours just fine. Second, you have not failed, you've just made yourself miserable. Third, you had every right to be sure of yourself, every wedding you've ever planned has been amazing." Then Harry guided her eyes back up to his with caressing fingers. "But Gin, I need you to know that I'll marry you right now if that's what you want. If you want to throw the idea of a traditional wedding out the door, then I'm happy to throw the deposits away and go to the register office with your parents and Teddy and Vic and call it done. All I want is you."

And then Ginny was crying again for a whole new reason as she looked into the green, green eyes of the man she loved. He was right. They could just get married at the register office and call it done, forget the money spent and cut their losses. It was tempting, oh it was tempting. But her mother's words of regret echoed in her mind. Words of sadness that she hadn't made anyone take a picture of her and Arthur when they eloped. Regret that she had nothing to show her children from that day. Regret that there would be no wedding pictures to display at her funeral. Charlie had joked that they would just display everyone else's wedding pictures at Molly's funeral. Ginny suddenly wanted to make sure she was one of those pictures. She wanted to tell her children how wonderful it all was, and to have them sorting through wedding pictures when she was long gone.

And she wanted all of that more than she wanted to protect her pride.

"I need to call Josh," she hiccuped.

"You're sure?"

Ginny nodded as she pulled a tissue from the box before slipping her phone from her pocket.

"He's been begging for this since you proposed."

Harry chuckled, "We'll tell him he owes you a favor then."

"I honestly think he's doing me the favor, but he definitely is going to be excited."

Josh cheered so loud when she asked him to take over her wedding Harry heard it from the kitchen as he cleaned up the broken jar, and Ginny had to hold the phone away from her ear.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter my friends, and then we'll call this little story finished. Thank you so much to all of you who went on this journey with me. I can't thank you enough for the support!
> 
> Last chapter posts on August 24th.

 

Harry lay in his back garden on a blanket, much the way he remembered his father doing once the weather finally started warming up. Harry had his arm wrapped around his fiance as they watched the sun set over the trees.

And he was happy.

If you went back two years and described this scene, he would have called you crazy and cruel. If you went back one year and described this scene, he would have called you unrealistic. But being in the scene, feeling it, Harry was just grateful. He was grateful to be wrapped up in Ginny's arms, in his childhood home, healing from his trauma, and getting ready to be married in less than seventy-two hours.

It had been the kind of journey that rips your heart out before putting it back in your chest, somehow stronger and better. He couldn't explain it to anyone, how he would bring his family back in a heartbeat but at the same time, he was grateful for what had happened. But there was just so much of his happiness that he had to attribute to the years of anguish. It sounded crazy, but it was no less true.

So Harry just focused on being grateful, on holding onto Ginny and planning their future together.

"Deep thoughts?" Ginny's voice pulled his eyes back to her and away from the colors of the setting sun.

"All good ones," Harry kissed her nose and smiled when she wrinkled her face at him. "What about you?"

Ginny chuckled, "I was thinking about how grateful I am that I finally saw reason and let Josh plan our wedding. It's nice to feel so calm before a wedding. I've never felt calm before a wedding since I took this job, and this is like a breath of fresh air."

"Helps that you trust Josh," Harry nodded. "If it were your mum or sisters-in-law I don't know if you'd feel so calm."

Ginny shivered, "I think I'd just take over at that point."

"Well, I'm glad that we have Josh then," Harry chuckled, "because I like you all relaxed."

"Oh, really?" Ginny slid a teasing finger under his shirt.

Harry's mind slid very rapidly.

"You know," Ginny continued as her hands wandered, "we should really capitalize on this downtime we have."

"Early honeymoon?" Harry pulled her flush against him to kiss her neck.

"Something like that," Ginny sighed as she rucked his shirt up his chest.

At some point, Harry tired of the chilled evening air and carried his bride back to their bed. It was much later, while Ginny carded her fingers through his hair, that she decided the care-free atmosphere they had wrapped themselves in could wait.

"Children."

Harry paused. She hadn't said it as a question, more like an incantation, as though a baby would appear on the bed beside them at her word. He tilted his head up to look inquisitively at her, but she simply smiled back down at him.

"Er, children?"

"When, love," Ginny rolled her eyes like it was an obvious question.

Harry shrugged, "Whenever."

"I'm serious," Ginny gave him a nudge and Harry smiled at the old joke from his past.

He sat up and pulled her into him, "I'm not joking around Gin. I want children with you, and I want them when you want them."

"You have no preference at all?" Ginny huffed.

"Don't you?"

Ginny sighed, "I don't know, part of me feels like we should be trying already and part of me feels like we should give ourselves a couple of years and part of me thinks that maybe we're too old and this is a bad idea, and all of me feels overwhelmed thinking about it."

"Whoa, hold on," Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I really don't want you stressing about this before we've even decided to try."

"Easy for you to say Mister 'whenever you want;' you put the whole decision on my shoulders."

"Good point," Harry sighed, "alright, I'll be honest, I'd like children sooner rather than later. We're not twenty anymore and raising Teddy in my twenties was exhausting."

"See you've done this before," Ginny huffed, "you know what to expect."

"Not entirely," Harry chuckled. "I wasn't around Tonks much for the time that she was pregnant, and most of Teddy's first couple of years I wasn't his sole guardian. I stepped in at the point where little boys are ready to run for hours and destroy everything in the name of 'I wanted to see what happens,' and when you aren't sure how they got so dirty because you swear you just bathed them."

Ginny laughed and Harry tucked some of her tousled hair behind her ear. "But I do know that raising Teddy was one of the best things that happened to me. And that any children we have will be too."

"Okay," Ginny sighed, "I'm still freaking out a little, but it's good to know that you'd be all for kids right away."

"And I'm happy to wait as well. But from the way Vic talks, you've had your fair share of helping raise your nieces and nephews. She went on and on after dinner one evening about the sleepovers you had with her. You aren't a total novice here, Gin."

Ginny grinned, "They were wicked sleepovers."

"See," Harry pinched her sides, "you'll be an amazing mum."

"And you're already an amazing dad," Ginny brought a tender hand to his cheek and Harry swallowed hard.

"Can we not make me cry right now? I'm sure you'll do a fine job of it once we get to Saturday, but I'd really like to keep the tears from destroying me until then."

Ginny laughed, "Since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can save all of my sentimental thoughts for our vows and just make you bawl like a baby in front of everyone we love instead."

Harry groaned theatrically, "You are  _so_  mean to me."

"It's called tough love, I think, " Ginny pushed him back against the pillows before straddling him.

"I can live with that," Harry laughed before pulling her down to him.

* * *

There were things Ginny did that Harry wasn't sure he would ever understand.

For example, Friday night Ginny decided that she wanted Harry to go have dinner with Josh. Why he was having dinner with their wedding coordinator, and not with his bride, was beyond him. Josh was a nice enough bloke, Harry genuinely liked him, but Harry had hoped to spend the night before his wedding with his bride, not his wedding coordinator.

But Harry caved when Ginny told him it would mean a lot to her if he'd just have dinner with Josh and promised him a quiet evening at home after.

"You didn't want a stag do, so just let Josh take you to dinner," she had slid up against him and looked up at him with a small pout before biting her lip and Harry knew he was whipped.

And, oh, how he loved it.

So Harry drove to the swanky restaurant that Josh had suggested with the promise of later with his bride near the front of his mind.

The restaurant was loud and a large part of Harry wanted to drag Josh out of there by his shirt collar to a much less chaotic venue for dinner, but he'd promised Ginny, and so he stuck it out.

"Harry!" Josh cried when he spotted him. "Harry, Harry, Harry, how are you?"

"I'm well aside from our current location," Harry gestured around them.

"Oh you'll love what I've got planned though!" Josh was almost bouncing. "Follow me, this will be so much fun!"

He grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him back through the tables and around the bar until they came to a door.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to wear a blindfold?"

Harry scoffed, "Not on your life, Josh."

Josh shrugged, "I tried. Now, before we go in, know that we all love you and we all want you to remember that."

"Josh," Harry stepped back, "I was told I was having dinner with you tonight."

"Yes," Josh nodded impatiently, "and Ginny was told that she was grabbing a bite with Emily. We all tell lies sometimes, so buck up buttercup and come on."

With a strength that actually surprised Harry, Josh opened the door and pulled him through to a private dining room where several of his friends and family were seated around them. But Harry's eyes immediately found the beautiful red-haired goddess that had beset him from the beginning, smiling and looking just as surprised as he felt.

"Surprise!" Josh shouted.

"Yes," Harry laughed, "I'm very surprised, but what is this?"

Emily pulled Ginny over to where Josh and Harry stood by the door.

"Everyone!" Josh called out, ignoring Harry's question. "I asked you all here because our wonderful couple of honor told me that they didn't need any parties to celebrate their last nights as single people."

Harry rolled his eyes. He was nearly forty, he was too old for this.

"Tonight was organized to show them that they still needed to celebrate something. Tomorrow we'll celebrate with them as they join together forever. Tonight, we celebrate being alive and having friends and family that love us. So without further ado," Josh grabbed Ginny and Harry's hands and held them in the air, "to Harry and Ginny!"

"To Harry and Ginny!" The small group echoed.

When Josh finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry turned to Ginny. "Josh says you were just as clueless as I was about this?"

Ginny sighed and nodded, "I thought Emily was taking me to dinner."

Harry chuckled, "So much for a quiet night in, eh?"

"This isn't so bad," Ginny shrugged, "and just think, our quiet evening tomorrow night will be that much more special."

"Always my optimist," Harry kissed her and Ginny smiled against him.

"I have to keep you from becoming a crotchety old man."

"I thought I was already a crotchety old man."

"Nah, but you show tendencies for it so I'm going to keep you young and hopeful with all my abounding optimism."

"I knew I kept you around for something," Harry placed a teasing kiss along her jawline and laughed when Josh tsked next to them.

"Yes, yes, you're both beautiful people and we all want to age just as perfectly as you both do, but there are guests that I went to all the hard work to collect and get here, so please don't be rude to them."

"You got it, Josh," Harry pulled Ginny into his side. "Let's mingle like we like these people."

"Don't pretend on my account," Teddy's voice called out from behind them.

Harry grinned at his godson, "Don't worry, I won't pretend anything on your account." Then he pulled Teddy into a hug.

"You've both been scarce around the house," Ginny pouted as she pulled Vic into a hug.

"You sound just like Mum," Vic laughed.

"I am going to be your godmother-in-law," Ginny teased. "How many girls are so lucky to have grown up with a member of their husband's family?"

Vic rolled her eyes, "Probably more than just me."

"Point being," Harry gave Ginny a squeeze, "we want to see you more when we're home from our honeymoon."

"Drinks are served!" Josh called out from the door.

Harry looked over and saw trays of champagne being wheeled in. He smiled when Josh walked over with a small tray.

"For my lovely sober friends," he handed them four glasses with a small bow.

"Thanks, Josh," Harry took his glass, "I appreciate it."

"Anything for my favorite clients and better friends," Josh winked at him before sliding away to return the empty tray to one of the carts.

"You three really don't need to keep this up for me." Harry sipped his drink. "I'm not under any illusion that you don't drink when I'm not around."

Teddy quirked a brow at him, "Really? You'd be alright if I went and got sloshed?"

Harry felt the anxiety build up in him but he took a moment, breathing deeply as he worked to maintain the happiness and calm that he had just seconds ago. It wasn't easy but Harry managed to keep control.

"I would honestly prefer that you did it in the safety of your own home," Harry even managed to chuckle, which he was rather proud of, "but as long as you didn't get behind the wheel, yes, I would not think less of you for gorging yourself on champagne."

Teddy grinned at him, "I'm proud of you. But I'm going to decline the offer. I am driving tonight and while I might take a drink on occasion, I'm not the biggest fan of the effect." He held up his glass, "So cheers."

Harry clinked his glass to Teddy's and took a moment to be grateful, grateful that he'd managed to be in control of his anxiety, grateful that he'd been able to separate his happiness from the actions of those around him, and grateful that he was surrounded by people who loved and supported him regardless of his no-alcohol quirks.

He and Ginny continued to mingle around the room, spending time with Arthur and Molly, Nev and Hannah, Bill and Fleur, Ron and Hermione, Luna and Rolf, and Josh and Emily with their spouses.

Dinner was served shortly after and then Harry was surprised how laid back the rest of the evening was. Where it could have been an excuse to have a full party, his friends and family seemed content to just lounge about at the table and chat as if they were all sprawled out in his back garden watching the sunset.

Speaking of the sun...

Ginny was pressed against his side, the back of her chair might as well have not been there. Periodically she would slide against his chest, her sweet-smelling hair rubbing against his shirt and shoulder and completely distracting him from whatever his train of thought had been.

"Harry?" Nev's voice pulled Harry back to the present moment.

Apparently, Harry was doing a shite job at hiding the effect his bride had on him.

"Er, sorry, I guess I'm getting old, completely forgot what we were talking about."

"I'd say you're getting married," Arthur chuckled, "because the only one old enough to make old jokes here is me."

"Am I distracting you, love?" Ginny's sing-song voice was teasing as she batted her eyelashes at him.

Harry could feel his face turning red, but he couldn't really be bothered to care as Ginny's hands wandered under the table.

"Very much so," he managed to sound somewhat composed.

"We all should probably head home," Josh stood, "since all of us have a wedding to attend tomorrow, and at least one of us is in charge of making sure it's perfect."

Harry raised his glass, "And I have full confidence in the man."

Josh winked at him.

"You drove?" Ginny asked as she reached for her purse.

"Yep, I'm guessing Emily picked you up, I didn't see your car when I parked."

Ginny nodded and pulled her arm through his. "Josh really thought of everything."

"I get the sense that as long as a wedding coordinator isn't planning their own wedding, they tend to be rather brilliant at it." He teased.

Ginny elbowed him in the side but laughed, "Why yes, I think we're all rather brilliant."

They said their goodbyes before heading out the door and climbing into his car.

"Did you enjoy teasing me?" Harry asked casually as they drove home.

"Hmm...I don't recall teasing you…" Ginny put on her most innocent face, and Harry grinned.

"Really? You don't recall anything about rubbing bodies or wandering hands?"

"Not a thing," Ginny shrugged.

Harry took his hand off the gear shift and moved it to Ginny's thigh. "Perhaps I can jog your memory?"

Ginny grabbed his hand. "You're driving!"

Harry laughed and pulled his hand back. "Alright, I'll drive and you think about all the ways I'm going to tease you as payback once we're home."

Ginny bit her lip and leaned across to whisper in his ear, "Promise?"

For a second Harry forgot who was teasing whom.

* * *

Harry's wedding day dawned late, just as Ginny had wanted.

Well, they slept later than normal at least, but Harry admitted privately to himself that twenty years ago he would not have thought of waking up at nine in the morning as "late."

That aside, Harry spent much of the morning on his own. Ginny was off to the salon to have her hair done and her nails touched up and her make up applied before heading to the venue to slide into her gown and be ready for the main event. Harry, however, had very little to do before he needed to head over to the venue, and so after kissing Ginny goodbye, he walked into his office.

There was always work to be done: a scan to look over, suspicious activity on a network to look into, or just the regular monthly summary he sent to each client. After an hour or so he made it to a ticket from Nev's office and sent off the finished report to him. A few moments later, Nev's number appeared on Harry's mobile.

"Nev?"

"What in the hell is wrong with you?"

"Something wrong with the report? I thought I understood what you asked for." Harry pulled the ticket back up on his screen. "Did I miss something."

"No you dimwit," Nev sighed, "except that you sent that on your freaking wedding day!"

"I'm not getting married until this afternoon," Harry chuckled. "It isn't like I sent it from my phone while Gin was reading her vows."

"Okay, therapist Neville and cyber sleuth Harry are officially off the clock. Your best friend from A-Levels is coming over and kidnapping you for lunch."

"We went around in  _my car_  I'll have you remember." Harry chuckled.

"And we would today, but I'd be worried you would drive us to look at freaking retirement homes." Neville laughed and Harry easily joined in.

"Fine, but we'll have to be back in time for me to pick up my car so I have a way to get my wife home." Harry loved saying that out loud.  _My wife_  just had a nice ring to it.

"Be ready to go in twenty minutes and turn off your damned computer." Neville disconnected the call and Harry smiled as he moved his mouse to shut everything down.

"Where to Boss," Harry teased as he climbed in Nev's car, "And where's your wife?"

"Hannah's waiting for a phone call and sent me on ahead. She'll be at the wedding, so no worries there. But the boss wants a sandwich so you're coming along for the ride."

"Sandwiches are always good," Harry leaned back in his seat. "And thank you for kidnapping me. This is much nicer than killing time with work."

"What are friends for? You saved me a time or two from cramming for exams if I remember."

Harry laughed, "I doubt that I'd call those times a favor. Usually, we were chasing girls or football games."

"But we had fun," Nev laughed.

"Remember when we drove all the way to Devon and joined a pick-up game?"

"We wasted so much petrol driving all the way out there. Remember that red-haired kid who let us on his team?" Nev turned into the sandwich joint and started looking for a place to park.

"He didn't even worry about if we were any good," Harry nodded, "what was his name?"

Nev shrugged. "I don't remember."

Harry paused, trying to bring the boy's face back into focus. Slowly his mind's eye cleared and Harry laughed.

"What?" Nev quirked a brow at him.

"I'd bet a tenner that boy was my future brother-in-law."

Nev shook his head. "Are you sure you're not just creating connections?"

Harry pulled out his phone, "Only one way to find out."

He hit Ron's picture on his phone and waited.

"Harry? Everything alright, mate?" Ron's voice was concerned and Harry could hear Rose fussing in the background.

"Everything's fine, I just have a quick question. Did you ever let a couple of strange teens who drove into Devon randomly play a pick-up game with you?"

"Er," Ron paused, "yeah, I reckon we did. I always let anyone who wanted to play on my team."

Harry chuckled, "I'm pretty sure Nev and I were those blokes at one point."

Ron was quiet.

"Ron?"

"Hold on," Ron's voice sounded, "I'm stalking your social media for images of you as a teenager."

Harry laughed.

"You know I think I do remember you two," Ron laughed finally, "Small world, eh?"

"Very," Harry agreed. "I'll see you later today then?"

"You better," Ron paused before adding, "and I'm glad you found your way back to us, Harry."

"Me too, Ron," Harry smiled as he sat down across from Neville.

"So it was him?" Nev asked Harry slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Yep, which I believe means you owe me a tenner." Harry grinned.

"I'll buy you lunch instead you cheeky git," Nev shoved him and laughed.

* * *

Neville dropped Harry back at home with just enough time to shower and grab his things before driving to the venue. Harry quadruple checked the list he and Ginny had made of all the things he should bring before climbing into the car and heading toward the rest of his life.

That thought made him smile. The rest of his life no longer seemed bleak. It gleamed with hope in front of him. It was something to look forward to. And that was an amazing feeling. It was exhilarating to the point that it put a rather goofy smile on Harry's face, which he normally tried to keep rather stoic. But today he didn't care. He was getting married; wasn't he supposed to have a goofy smile?

Harry walked into the venue with that goofy smile on his face and ran right into Josh.

"Oh good, you're right on time!" Josh exclaimed before pulling him into a quick hug. "Now handsome, I need you in that tux yesterday and then we're going to get you flowered up."

Harry chuckled, "Just point me to my room and tell me where flowers are."

"Oh no, no, no," Josh shook his head. "You're the groom, I'm taking you myself." He plucked Harry's tux and duffle bag from him before linking his arm with Harry's and pulling him down the corridor.

"I'm alright, Josh, really," Harry tried to grab his things back but Josh tsked at him.

"There are only so many days you get to be a king, Harry, enjoy them when they come."

"I've never wanted to be a king," Harry countered.

"You're a much better man than most, my dear. Trust me,  _because_  you don't want to be a king makes you all the more deserving of being treated like one today."

"You're too good, Josh." Harry chuckled as Josh opened a door that had a chalkboard sign with the word  _groom_  scrawled across it.

"Nah," Josh switched on the light before hanging up Harry's tux. "I'm just good to good people. I'm a nightmare to those I don't like."

"Josh," Harry took his duffle bag back, "I hope you know how much I appreciate this. You taking our wedding on has made things so much easier on Gin, and I really can't thank you enough for that."

Josh grinned, "You're wedding has been a welcome break from some of the chaos on my plate, so thank you. Honestly, having sane people to work with has been  _so_  refreshing."

Harry grinned, "I'm only sane with those people I like. I'm a right nutter to those I don't."

Josh burst out laughing, "I see what you did there. Alright, clever specky git, I'll be back in ten minutes to take you to flowers and then your godchildren should be ready for pictures with you."

"What no bow on your way out?" Harry teased.

Josh flipped him off before closing the door.

The next hour or so was reminiscent of Teddy and Vic's wedding. Harry had flowers pinned to his jacket before being led to the photographer where he and Teddy and Vic took pictures. It was comforting, the familiarity of it all.

And maybe that was why he didn't see it coming. He should have, really. Not only did he know they were doing pictures before the ceremony, but Vic had also done it to Teddy, and Harry had been witness to it. Regardless, it still felt like it had come out of left field when after walking to where the photographer had indicated, he turned around and saw Ginny.

He'd seen the dress. It had hung in their room for more than a week now. But he hadn't seen the dress  _on_  Ginny.

And he was floored.

It was a cliche, to think that seeing Ginny in her wedding dress would somehow be awe-inspiring. But until Harry saw her in the dress, the whole day had lacked the magic he'd been told to expect.

Which made sense, because up to that moment, the day had lacked the most magical person he knew.

"Wow," was all he managed to say.

It seemed to be enough as Ginny beamed at him and closed the distance between them. Harry quickly met her halfway, and while somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear the sounds of a camera clicking, none of it mattered as he wrapped his arms around his bride.

Ginny pulled back far sooner than he would have preferred.

"There'll be plenty of time later love," she whispered, "the rest of our lives, really."

Harry had never had a problem with his age before. But at that moment, he wanted to go back and find Ginny sooner, find her when he was twenty or sixteen or even eleven because he wanted to spend more than just the rest of his life with her, he wanted his entire life with her. He wanted hundreds of years with her.

But at least he was getting her now before his life was completely spent when they still had decades ahead of them.

"I can't wait," he finally whispered back, stealing one last kiss before letting the world back into the little bubble of solitude he'd imagined around them.

The next hour was taken up with more picture taking, mostly of just him and Ginny. But the last bit served as a reminder to Harry for how big Ginny's family was as each brother and his family were given a chance to have pictures taken with Gin and him. Then the group picture was an exercise in controlled chaos as they worked to get as many of the nieces and nephews to look at the photographer, as well as trying to organize everyone so they all fit in the frame, while keeping Teddy and Vic firmly to Harry's left, and Ginny on his right arm.

By the end of it, Harry was ready for the honeymoon to start for no other reason than it would lack the need of a photographer.

And then Josh was there, swooping in like a saving grace, directing everyone to the hall where the ceremony would be held. He slid next to Harry and handed him a flask.

"It's Diet Coke. You look like you could use some caffeine."

"Josh, if you've been carrying around a flask of Diet Coke just for me today I might threaten to pay you." Harry teased but gratefully took the flask.

"It's for Ginny too," Josh pulled it from his hands and handed it to Ginny. "Although fair warning I might have taken a drink on accident, but I've had all my shots so you should be fine."

Ginny rolled her eyes before taking a drink and handing it back to Harry. "Does Ted have our rings?"

"I have them right now, I'll hand them over before they start the music."

Ginny pushed up and kissed his cheek, "Thank you."

" _Thank you_ ," Harry tried to pull her in for a much more serious kiss but Josh pulled Harry backward.

"Alright, my liege let's wait for you to actually marry your queen before you completely ruin her makeup. Besides I need you both in your places in thirty seconds if we're going to stay on schedule."

Harry rolled his eyes as Ginny laughed. "Let's get this show on the road."

Things went very quickly after that. The only repose being when Ginny walked down the aisle. But Harry couldn't remember anything that was said in the ceremony, and he was incredibly grateful they had written their vows down because there was no way he would have been able to come up with anything to say. Plus he couldn't remember what Ginny had said. He remembered how he felt, how his heart had ached with how much he loved her, and his eyes had been wet with tears, but he very much wanted to read Ginny's vows when things were slower and he had time to process it all, remember it, words and feelings together.

The rest of the afternoon didn't slow down. The meal seemed to slip right past him and then suddenly they were cutting the cake and he turned around and they were dancing their first dance. And before he knew it, he was sitting outside Ginny's room as she changed so they could drive home.

"I've got everyone lined up to see you off," Josh sat down next to him.

"Thanks, Josh, tonight has been amazing." Harry rested his head back against the wall.

"Welcome to the brotherhood of married men," Josh tapped his knee against Harry's, "I think you'll like it here. It's full of compromise and personal growth, but also a lot of happiness."

"I'm rather looking forward to it all," Harry chuckled, "mostly because it includes doing all that with Gin."

"You'll be just fine," Josh grinned.

"I think your right," Ginny smiled from the open door as Luna and Molly helped her with her things.

"We'll get these to your car, dear, then off you go." Molly readjusted Ginny's dress in her arms. "What time is your flight?"

"Noon, so we'll be a bit pressed but I think we'll be alright." Ginny winked at Harry who smirked back at her.

"Set an extra alarm or two," Molly laughed before kissing her daughter and son-in-law goodbye. Luna did the same before dancing along behind Molly as they moved down the corridor.

"Ready you two?" Josh pushed up off his chair.

"Definitely," Ginny snuggled in close to Harry's side. "Take me home, husband."

"But of course, wife," Harry laughed when Josh rolled his eyes at them.

"You two are adorable." Then he wrapped them both in a hug. "Now go give these people the send-off they deserve and get out of here."

When they pushed open the doors, Harry was honestly surprised by the crowd. They'd opted for a small guest list, but it felt like there were a great deal more people than they'd invited.

His car thankfully had only a "just married" decal on the back window. He'd have to take Teddy and Vic to dinner to thank them for that. It was one of the few things he asked Teddy to make sure didn't happen at the wedding.

Harry helped Ginny into the car, waved goodbye to the crowd, and climbed into the peacefully quiet car.

"Holy shite, we survived," Ginny threw her head back against the seat.

"Let's get out of here before you jinx us," Harry buckled his seatbelt before pulling onto the road.

"Can we stop and get food?" Ginny tossed her phone in her lap. "I only managed to eat some of my dinner between all the toasts and cutting the cake with you was all the more cake I got."

Harry nodded, "You're brilliant, you are. I had about the same. What do you want?"

"Pizza," Ginny said after a moment. "We'll take it home and eat it naked on our bed."

"Kinky."

"Just get me pizza, Potter."

"Right away, Mrs. Potter."

Pulling up to their home felt right in so many ways. Most couples choose to find some hotel or bed and breakfast to spend their wedding night, but for Harry, this symbolized a new beginning. Spending their wedding night in the home that he grew up in, lost, and then found again, felt like he was coming full circle in his life. That where everything had started and ended was now going to start again. He was being given another shot at happiness in the place where it had all fallen apart, and marrying Ginny was a major part of finding that happiness.

And drifting off to sleep, pizza box tossed somewhere on the floor, Ginny pressed against his side, five alarms set so they wouldn't miss their flight, Harry smiled, completely content and sure that this happiness would follow him through the rest of his life.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, we're at the end! Thank you everyone who enjoyed this with me! It means the world to me that you loved this AU too! And without further ado, the Epilogue…

Ginny ran her hand along her daughter's wedding dress in her room.

"Are you sure you want Lily's wedding to be your last one?" Harry's voice sounded behind her.

She sighed. "We're not getting any younger, but I wanted to make sure I planned all our children's weddings. She's the last one."

Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, "The end of an era."

"Did I ever tell you that I used to hate the idea of wedding planning?"

"Really?" He nuzzled her neck. "You've been doing it for twenty-five years now."

"Amazing, yeah?" Ginny smiled, where had the years gone?

Harry tugged her out the door, "Let's get some lunch before Lils gets back from class."

Ginny followed him out the door, smiling at the pictures on the walls. The wedding pictures of all her children adorned the stairs, along with old wedding images of Harry's family and a picture from when Ginny threw her parents a renewal of their vows for their fiftieth anniversary. She'd already hung the frame for Lily's wedding, it just needed the picture.

Harry started to pull sandwich fixings out once they'd entered the kitchen.

"Nev and Hannah made it back safe, by the way." He pulled two plates down.

"Oh good," Ginny smiled. Since Alice had grown up, they frequently went back and helped at the orphanage where she'd spent the first five months of her life. "Are they going to be able to go back again before the summer hits?"

Harry shrugged, "Nev didn't say but I would bet they're going to try for it."

"So long as they're back in time for Lily's wedding."

"Speaking of," Harry paused as he set the bread on the counter, "I was thinking about how you're retiring after Lily's wedding."

Ginny nodded as she pulled two slices out for herself.

"Well, what if I retired then too?"

Ginny looked up at him, the gray taking over his messy black hair, the laugh lines surrounding his emerald eyes; when had they grown old?

"You mean completely sell off the company?"

Harry nodded. "We're coming up on seventy, Gin, and we're both blessed to still be functioning like we were fifty. I don't want to spend what's left in that office by the front door. I want to spend it with you. You're done wedding planning, Jamie and Alice are expecting their first baby near the end of the year, Johnny's almost done with A-Levels which means Ted and Vic are going to only have Andie at home soon, I guess I just want to be there for our family, for everything that's happening."

Ginny suddenly felt thirty-five all over again, smiling at this man as he asked her to the cafe for lunch the next day.

"I think it's a grand idea, Harry."

He moved around the counter and took her in his arms. "I hope you know how much I love you."

"I love you too," she snaked her arms around his neck, chuckling at the way her shoulder groaned at the action. Her mind may think she was still thirty-five, but her body definitely wasn't.

Harry seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"It's rather unfair that your hair only got prettier as we got older. I'm nearly all grey now."

Ginny glanced at her reflection in the kitchen window, her red hair having shifted from an almost tomato red to more of a copper color with streaks of strawberry blonde running through it, much as her mother's had done.

"Yes," she smiled, "but the gray does make you look rather distinguished."

"Are you flattering me, Mrs. Potter?"

"Isn't that what young people do to seduce each other?" Ginny winked at him and Harry laughed.

"Seduce me, eh," he pulled her flush against his chest, "I think I could be very easily persuaded in that direction."

Ginny grinned and took a step backward, pulling Harry with her. "Persuaded?"

Harry pretended to think about the question and Ginny laughed before taking another step backward. She raised her eyebrows in question before letting go of him and moving swiftly to the stairs.

"Don't die trying to run," Harry chuckled behind her, his footsteps quickly echoing hers.

Ginny laughed but still moved to make it up the stairs a bit faster than normal.

Harry was up for the race, though, and managed to make it to their door right behind her.

"You're still a minx you know," he wrapped an arm around her waist as she pushed open the door.

"You still like it," Ginny sighed as he moved to kiss her neck, shutting the door with his foot.

Harry hummed against her skin, "Very much."

It was much later, lounging on their bed when Lily knocked on the door.

"You left the food out again," she chuckled through their closed door. "I put it away in exchange for you pretending you forgot about it in your old age instead of what I pretend not to know you actually do when this for is closed."

"Say that again Lils, my hearing aid didn't catch it," Harry called out and Ginny burst into a fit of giggles.

"Love you too, Dad." Lily's voice faded as she walked back down the stairs.

Ginny's giggles calmed and she snuggled closer to Harry, breathing him in. She couldn't believe they were both going to retire in just a few months, that she'd get to do this all the time; that they'd have the house to themselves; that they'd raised four children between the two of them; that they'd been married almost twenty-five years; that those years had gone by so fast; that her baby girl was getting married; that she would have a grandbaby before the end of the year.

"You know," she looked up at Harry and smiled, "we have so many wonderful things ahead of us."

Harry grinned down at her before being his lips to hers.

"I can't wait," he murmured, and then he kissed her.

Ginny couldn't wait either.


End file.
